Twisted Apathy
by Apathetic Silence
Summary: "Why does it feel good to end someone's worthless life?" She felt him smirk and moved to eye him. "Because it does." When you're obsessively in love, you'd kill anyone who gets in the way, or anything that tears you apart. AU Slight OOC SasuSaku
1. Driven Execution

"_I don't want to die," She admitted. "But I don't want you to die either."_

"_We promised each other," He reminded. "That not even death can part us."_

"_Sasuke…"_

"_Sakura," He pulled away slightly and leaned his lips to hers. "I love you."

* * *

_

**Twisted Apathy**  
"_**Driven Execution"

* * *

**_

She sighed and wiped the sweat away from her forehead before taking a sip from her bottled water.

Today wasn't one of the best days of her life, but then again, everyday was always a bad day for her.

"Alright girls, hit the showers!" their gym teacher yelled, as each and every student did what they were told to do.

Sighing yet again, she got up from the ground and trudged behind slowly, glancing inside the gymnasium when her classmates began to squeal.

Her lips gave a tiny smile, barely noticeable, when she set her eyes on the person whom the girls were looking at.

With speed and movement close to lightning, none of the guys from the other team were able to stop him from shooting a basket and scoring the winning point as the teacher's whistle signaled the end of the game.

"That's it for today! Go take a bath!" said the male teacher, dismissing the guys.

She glanced at her female and male classmates, watching how they interacted while she was ignored, as always. She was somewhat envious seeing the others talk and chat with happy faces.

"If looks could kill, they'd be dead by now."

Blinking, she looked to her left and saw the same boy she was watching earlier, and her cheeks turned red immediately, so she looked down so that her bangs could hide her blushing face.

"With the way you glare at them… or haven't you noticed?"

Her head shook from left to right, and he managed a small smirk, before his face became blank and followed the rest of the class.

"Are you coming Haruno?"

Sakura snapped her head up when he called her, and was surprised to see him standing still, head turned slightly to her.

"Y-yeah." She said, jogging over next to him as they both walked a few feet away from the others.

* * *

"I can't believe you're transferring!"

"Yeah, I can't either, but the preparations are complete, so this is my last day in this school." She smirked slightly when she eyed the whole class, and then cupped her hands around her mouth to make an announcement. "Hey guys! Party at my house! Everyone's invited!"

The whole class cheered, except for a pink-haired girl who remained quiet and continued eating her sandwich, and a raven-haired boy who only sat on his chair with his eyes closed and ears plugged by his iPod's earphones.

"Temari, are you seriously inviting everyone? Even them?"

"Yeah Ami."

"I don't mind if you invite Sasuke, but come on, even that pink-haired girl?!"

"Hey, it's my party, don't question me." She stood up and approached Sakura, waving a hand in front of her face in order to catch her attention. "Do you mind if I call you Sakura?"

"Not at all."

"Great!" She grinned. "Call me Temari from now on then, alright?" she winked at her, and Sakura only gave a nod. "So, it's my last day here today, and I want you to come to my party, I want to see everyone and spend my last moments with all of you, so, you're coming, okay?"

"I… have a job."

"Can't you take today off?" She begged, her hands clasping in front of her. "Come on Sakura, I've always wanted to get to know you, but you seem so distant, so this is my last chance!"

"…Okay…" Sakura gave a small smile and Temari hugged her, which caught her off guard, since no one _ever _gave her friendly hugs.

"Thanks! You're the best!" and she marched towards Sasuke to convince him to go as well.

"_My boss won't be happy about this…" _Sakura thought, finishing her lunch as a hundred thoughts came to mind at what her boss would make her do just to let her off for today.

The place she worked in… she wanted to quit so badly, but she had signed a contract. And until she graduates high school, she can't leave the job, unless of course she breaks the only rule, which happens to be losing her virginity, and she was not about to go that far just to leave that place.

She could try lying, but somehow, her boss would know, and it really frightened her at the thought that she was being stalked or watched.

"_Oh well, it's not everyday a classmate would beg or even plead…" _shrugging, she decided to just face the music later on.

* * *

"Take today off?"

"Yes sir…" she replied meekly.

"Hm…" He stood up from his chair and approached the pink-haired girl. "That depends…" he murmured, taking a few strands of her long pink hair and pulling it near his nose and lips. "What's in it for me, Sakura?"

"...I'll work tomorrow, until closing time."

"What else?"

She lowered her head as she tried to think of other things she could possibly do, without having to offer her body being touched or groped.

"Well, Sakura?"

Her hands gripped the hem of her school's black skirt, her body slightly quivering when her boss had placed his hands on her shoulders from behind and started to massage it gently, before slightly lowering to touch her breasts, clutching the two mounds with such force that she had to gasp out a moan, and she did not like the way he had touched her.

"Still no answer?" he asked, one of his hands lowering a bit, slowly and teasingly, which caused the teenaged girl to feel disgusted at letting this man get away with it. "Do you want me to tell you what I want then?"

"…What do you want, sir?"

It wasn't just because of the contract, and it wasn't just because she needed money, but this man practically saved her; her mother died giving birth to her, while her father got into a car accident and died upon arriving at the hospital, leaving her with nothing but the savings her father had left, which did not last her more than a year.

She came from a family that was not well off, since her parents eloped.

From what she heard from her father when she was still young, she had no aunts or uncles, and her grandparents were still quite angry at her parents for running off.

"You know perfectly well what I want."

This man used to be such a good man, but she found out later that he was only pretending so that she would agree to any favors he would ask. When she turned sixteen and he had asked her to work for him until high school, and when told that he would pay her for her services, she had agreed, because she wanted to help out in his business, not knowing that it was kind of like a host club, except females served the male customers. It wasn't exactly a stripper's club, but it might as well be called that, since the men were allowed to touch the women; and unless they actually _buy _the women, having sex with the girls was not allowed – unless they would want an oral type, which she – luckily- has yet to experience.

"I thought you said-"

"I don't mind oral, or groping…" he murmured while she flinched when one hand cupped one of her breasts, while the other was rubbing against her clit. "You _do _want to go to that party, right?"

"…I-it's for a friend, and she pleaded me to." She stammered, face flushed when her boss continued his actions.

"You're too _nice_, Sakura." He murmured, before pulling away, and she was more than glad that he did. "Tomorrow, you work until closing time, and _then_," he turned his head to her to smirk. "I'll take you to my place and have my way with you."

She did not say anything, but only gave a nod and a small bow before leaving the office and out the back door to avoid the customers from taking her remaining time to prepare.

This was the first time she ever got invited, and she was going to make sure she would look her best, since it may also be the last time she'll ever go to these kinds of parties.

Upon arriving at her small apartment, she quickly removed her black shoes, navy blue socks, skirt, dark blue school jacket, red tie, and white long-sleeved blouse, before changing into one of her few dresses in her small closet.

"As always, there's not much to pick from…" She murmured to herself, looking at the black halter dress that ended on her knees, and then turned to the red off-shoulder one that was only up until an inch above her knees. She looked back at her closet, seeing some plain shirts and jeans, her father's old clothes that she wore to bed since it helped her sleep whenever she felt sad or lonely, and a few skirts she got from her boss – back when he seemed _nice_. She practically had no choice! These two dresses were just given to her by her father's co-worker, and that was only because the woman no longer had a need for them.

"Oh well, I'm thankful for her then…" she said, deciding to pick the black one instead, and checked the few pairs of shoes that she can use. She was thankful that her father kept some of her mother's old things, including some sandals that fit her perfectly.

Once she was done dressing up, she left her place and tried to ignore the pain of having to walk to Temari's house in heels.

* * *

"I assume you won't be having dinner here then."

"Hn."

"Give me a real answer Sasuke."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "No dad, I won't be eating dinner here." He answered, buttoning the remaining buttons of his black shirt.

"That makes two of us." Fugaku replied, stepping inside a car. "I'm needed for another meeting."

"I didn't ask."

The older Uchiha frowned and stared at his son who remained standing at the side of his motorcycle, fixing the belt around his waist that kept his dark blue jeans up. "I taught you better than that."

Sasuke bent down to tighten the knots of his black sneakers, put on his blue jacket, and then finally placed his helmet on and straddled his bike, before riding off, leaving his father to shake his head and sigh.

"_It took him ten years to actually act like a father?" _he thought to himself, eyes narrowing further. _"Just because mom died, just because Itachi left without a single word to him…" _his grip on the handles tightened as he sped up. _"I don't blame my brother for wanting to leave without saying a word to him…" _

He was the last person Uchiha Itachi spoke to before leaving Konoha, and Sasuke perfectly understood why his brother had to leave. Itachi wanted to take him along, but Sasuke refused, saying that their father would definitely be able to track them down easily, so he promised Itachi that he would follow when he graduates, and frankly, they both couldn't wait for senior year to end.

"_Mom must be disappointed…" _he thought bitterly, recalling his mother's final smile three years ago, before permanently closing her eyes. _"It's my fault…" _he forced back the tears that attempted to fall. _"I should have stayed home! I was the target, not her!" _

His father was a respectable man, a famous military figure, but was hated by the terrorists and rebels that he caught.

Despite the warning given to Sasuke about his father's enemies out there waiting for a chance to get back at Fugaku, the youngest Uchiha still turned a deaf ear, and because of that, his mother passed away…

"_That bullet was supposed to kill me, not her…"_

Fugaku never blamed Sasuke for Mikoto's death, and Itachi did not hold a grudge or burden for his younger brother, and Mikoto surely did not think ill of her youngest son – and it made Sasuke much more depressed, for he believes that he needed to be punished for what had happened.

After his mother had gone, Itachi left too, because Fugaku became much stricter to them, but mostly on Itachi, and the older Uchiha could not handle it, and left.

The Uchiha patriarch had then decided to make things right; however, something was lacking, and he did not know what it was, but he knew he lacked something, for Sasuke remained distant to him.

"_You're too caught up in the military life, dad…" _he thought. _"You expect me to take the same path, but I don't want to."_

His train of thought was cut when his eyes saw a girl walking briskly down the street, and took note of her outfit.

"_Haruno..?" _he easily caught up with her, and decided to stop and wait for her to reach his side.

* * *

"_What the heck..?" _Sakura thought, slowing to a stop when she saw a man up ahead on a motorcycle. _"Is this guy going to kidnap me or something?" _she walked cautiously, eyes narrowing to a glare when she was nearing him.

She saw him remove his helmet, and she blinked when dark onyx orbs looked back at her.

"You know," he began. "The party starts at seven."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." She said, trying to fight the blush that was creeping through her face. It's not everyday her crush would actually stop to chat.

A smirk made its way to his lips, and she failed to prevent her cheeks from turning red. "With what you're wearing and the way you move, I think you'll arrive there around eight or later."

"W-well not everyone is as lucky as you to-"

"Hop on." He said, cutting her off.

"H-huh?"

He sighed and got off of his bike. "I said…" he poked her forehead. "Hop on."

"…Y-you're giving me a ride?"

"No, I'm letting you sit on it," He said sarcastically. "Of course I'm giving you a ride."

"…Why?"

He raised a brow. "I think it's obvious."

She crossed her arms and snorted, which earned an amused look from him. "People don't normally do others a favor without asking anything in return."

"Hn," he shrugged. "I guess I'm not normal."

She remained standing still.

"Alright," he sighed, and then lifted her chin, causing her to blush, and he pressed his lips lightly against her lips, pulling away after a second. "There, now get on."

He turned back to his bike after handing her his helmet.

Sakura may have been dazed from what had happened, but the sound of the bike's engine roaring to life snapped her out of her trance, and she quickly placed the helmet over her head and sat behind him, her arms nervously wrapping around his waist when he told her to hang on, and her grip tightened when they started moving at a fast pace.

* * *

A sigh escaped his lips as he checked the time on his watch before looking at the road before him.

The party started five minutes ago, and it was not like his best friend to be late, even if he didn't really want to go.

"Geez, that bastard…" he muttered, scratching the back of his blonde hair. "What's keeping him?"

His ears picked up the sound of a bike, and he grinned when his eyes caught sight of the familiar black and blue Yamaha YZF R1.

"I really wish dad would buy me one of those." He said to himself, eyes widening when the bike pulled over before him and that the rider had another passenger behind him, a girl at that. "What the fuck? The bastard got a girlfriend!"

"Hn. Dead last." Sasuke muttered, turning the bike's engine off. "I just gave Haruno a ride."

Naruto's green mind formed different images, and he couldn't help the huge grin on his face. "It must have been one heck of a ride."

He earned a hit on his head from Sasuke.

"Idiot." He glanced back at Sakura who removed the helmet and set it on the bike's seat. "You coming..?"

"Y-yeah…" She said, biting her lower lip as she eyed Temari's place, seeing some of her classmates through the window dancing and grinding to the beat of the music. "Or maybe I can just wait here…"

Her face flushed when Sasuke's hand gripped her wrist and pulled her towards the house, Naruto tailing behind.

"U-Uchiha..!"

"You should have just said that you'd chicken out," he muttered. "I wouldn't have taken you with me then."

She pulled her wrist free from his grip. "Which reminds me, why the heck did you kiss me back there?! That was MY first kiss!"

Naruto listened in, very interested at where the two's conversation was going.

"Hn, it was mine too, but who cares?"

"I do! It means a lot to a girl-"

"I've heard the same shit already." Sasuke said, eyes closing as he tried to remain calm. She was getting annoying. "And look on the bright side, you didn't lose it to some bum on the streets," he looked at her up and down. "With the way you're dressed, you could have lost more than just your first kiss."

"Ugh! You… you're… ugh!" she walked pass him and entered the door when Temari opened it and welcomed them in, leaving Sasuke with an amused smirk on his face, and Naruto grinning from ear to ear.

"She's pretty hot," Naruto commented. "Took me by surprise actually," he nudged Sasuke. "So what's keeping you and her from _rocking_ all night?"

Sasuke sighed. "You're hopeless."

* * *

It's not like she wasn't enjoying herself, just not as much as she expected to. Temari did talk to her, but when the blonde's friends began pulling her away, she was left alone, and she wished she at least stuck with Sasuke and Naruto, knowing that either of them would have kept her company.

"_Maybe I should just head home…" _she thought, getting up from the couch where two of her classmates were heatedly making out, the other people not seeming to mind them, for they were too preoccupied with their own conversations, and the couple were too drunk to even care about their surroundings.

"_I'm at least glad I didn't wear the red dress." _She thought, seeing one of her classmates pass by wearing an identical one. _"Where is Temari anyway? I should at least say goodbye." _

After a few minutes of walking, she saw Temari talking with her friends outside, near the pool, so she went over, but was blocked by three girls.

"So you actually came here, Haruno?"

"…Hi Karin." She muttered, looking away from the red-head. "And yeah, Temari asked me to come."

"She shouldn't have," Karin snorted, smirking when her two friends nodded in agreement. "And to make things worst, you arrived here with Sasuke."

"He offered me a ride." She said. "And he wouldn't take no for an answer."

Karin scoffed. "You actually think he'd want you to?"

"He just _cares_." Sakura seethed. "And it's a lot better than you thinking he actually likes you."

The two girls who were with Karin gasped, while some who stopped to listen on their conversation "ooohh-ed" at Sakura's retort.

"You bitch." Karin hissed.

"Do I look like a mirror to you?!" Sakura shot back.

"No," Karin then smirked. "There is no way you'd look half as good as me."

"You're right," Sakura said. "…Because you're not even an eight as smart as I am."

"That's it!" she yelled, pulling Sakura towards her and then shoving her to the pool, causing the people who were around to laugh at the scene. "Hmph, you're not so high and mighty now, huh Haruno?"

Sakura resurfaced and coughed out water, her ears hearing laughter coming from her classmates, her eyes seeing how everyone was pointing and laughing at her, save for Temari who looked shocked at what just happened.

She made her way to one corner of the pool, her arms attempting to pull herself out, but she was shaking, which prevented her from getting out of the water. _"I shouldn't have gone here… I should have just worked! I should have-"_ her eyes widened when she felt a grip on her arm. _"…Who would…" _she looked up to see Sasuke looking down at her, with Naruto next to him asking if she was alright.

"…_Why..?" _she thought, when Sasuke had pulled her up with Naruto's assistance.

She remained kneeling on the ground, her arms quickly moving to hug herself when the night wind blew.

"That was pretty low Karin!" She heard Naruto yell, looking up when she felt a jacket being placed over her shoulders.

"Sasuke..?"

He stared at her for a moment, his hands on her shoulders after wrapping his blazer around her, before offering a hand to help her up, which she gratefully took, her head lowering from embarrassment.

"This is a farewell party for Temari! And you end up hogging the spotlight again!" Naruto continued, glaring at Karin who tried to keep her cool. "Just because Sakura grew a back bone by answering back at you does not give you a right to just push her! It's freakin' cold tonight! You want her to catch flu or possibly gain pneumonia?"

"Hmph, don't act as if she's your friend Uzumaki," Karin crossed her arms haughtily. "Like the rest of us, you only noticed her tonight, heck, you wouldn't even be talking to her if Sasuke didn't bring her here."

Some of the students broke out in whispers.

"That's right," Karin said with a smirk. "Haruno came here with Sasuke."

"That girl?!"

"But she's a nobody!"

"Who would have thought…"

"So a loser like her managed to catch Uchiha?"

Sakura held onto the jacket tighter, wanting to just disappear.

"To call someone you barely know a loser…" Sasuke spoke, raising his head to glare at the rest of the class. "Only means how your life is not worth living."

Silence answered him, but Naruto wasn't always known to do what everyone else did. "What the heck do you mean by that bastard?" he whispered.

"These guys…" he murmured in response. "Have a miserable life, so they decide to mistreat others to mask their own pain."

He grabbed one of Sakura's hands, and pulled her back inside the house, the people who were in the way parting, Naruto tailing behind.

"What now?" Naruto asked when they were outside, standing next to Sasuke's bike. "After that little stunt you pulled, the two of us would definitely be on the lowest part of the food chain."

"I don't care." Sasuke replied, taking his helmet and making Sakura put it on. "And neither should you." Sasuke soon smirked. "You started out as a dead last after all."

"Bah! You suck!" Naruto pouted. "But it's not like Hinata would dump me, right?"

"Hn. Knowing how much that girl loves you, which I still can't believe, she would fall along with you."

"Oh well, at least I have her, but what about you? I know how much you hate hanging around us with the way we talk and act."

"I'll manage." He shrugged. "And why the heck were you absent earlier?"

"Didn't feel like going to school and… as for the party, Temari sent me a text."

"Hn, go home then." He glanced at Sakura.

"Alright, see 'ya!" they both punched each other's knuckles as a way of parting. "Bye Sakura." He patted the girl on the back lightly, and walked off to his car.

* * *

"This is… where you live..?" he asked, stopping right next to her in front of her apartment's door.

She only gave a nod after handing him back the helmet.

"Do you think your parents would throw a fit when they see you drenched?"

"…They're dead."

"…Sorry." He apologized, looking down.

Sakura gave another nod, about to remove the jacket to return it to him, but he stopped her from doing so.

"Keep it," he said. "You can return it on Monday."

"What you just did…" Sakura murmured. "You should have just…"

"If you meant the one back in Temari's house," he said. "It's not because I felt sorry for you." His eyes softened. "I just hate how people would treat you as if you're not a human being."

"It's been like that since freshman year, why care now?"

He was silent, not knowing the answer, before looking at her when she raised her head to meet his gaze.

"I like you…" she said, with her voice weak at first. "I really do." And she lowered her head. "It means a lot to me, what you did back then, but don't…" she shut her eyes. "Just don't-"

"I'm not leading you on." He cut off. "And… I guess the feeling's mutual." He murmured, looking away when she stared at him with shocked eyes. "I mean… when I see you, when I look at your eyes, I can see the same pain and loneliness I'm going through, and I care because it was only now did I actually had enough of them treating you like this."

"They've been treating me like trash since day one Sasuke!" She yelled. "It took you three years to grow tired?!"

"No, that's not it." He said, shaking his head. "I just wasn't at the right place." He sighed. "If I was, I would have… protected you." He said the last part softly.

"Do you like me?"

"What..?"

"Do you like me?" She repeated, eyes narrowed at him, yet they were teary.

"…I…" He looked away. "…I have to go." He turned, about to walk away, but she quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Sakura-"

"Tell me!"

"…I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe… but…"

"Then I'll make you know." And she kissed him, the jacket that was around her shoulders falling to the ground while she kept her hands pressed against his chest, his back against the wall next to her apartment's door.

She knew that this wasn't exactly the right thing to do, especially if she didn't want to feel embarrassed when she pulls away, but it felt like she had to do so when she saw him walking away.

"I…" She lowered her head, cheeks red. "I'm sorry." She avoided eye contact, but she knew that he was surprised at what she just did. "I didn't mean to, it's just that I really, really-"

"Shut up." He said, and this time, he was the one who kissed her, and had her slammed against the wall, pinned her arms at both sides of her head, and forced his tongue inside her mouth.

He pulled back for air, both their eyes half-closed and staring into each other, breathing ragged, and their chests heaving up and down.

"Sasu-"

"I like you too." He answered, kissing her again. "Don't ask why, don't ask how, just know that I feel the same."

His grip on her arms loosened, and she quickly wrapped them around his neck to pull him in for another kiss, and he didn't seem to mind and placed a hand behind her head to pull her for a deeper lip lock, his other hand crept around her waist, her core against his groin, them feeling the burning need and desire for the other.

"Your job…" He murmured, moving to her neck. "You should quit."

"…What..?" she asked breathlessly, unable to understand what he just said due to the sensation she was feeling.

"Quit your job." He repeated, hands resting on either side of her hips as their foreheads touched. "I don't want you working in that place, ever again."

"I… I can't." She admitted, looking down while still keeping her arms around his neck. "I have a contract with my boss… and…"

"You have a rule there, break it."

"How… how do you know so much..?"

"I have my ways, and I'll tell you some other time, but for now…" he kissed her again. "Break it."

"…You know the rule, right?"

"…What's the rule?"

"…I have to…" She trailed off, looking away, cheeks turning red. "I need to lose my…" she felt embarrassed to continue.

"Would you allow me to?"

She looked at him wide-eyed, before lowering her head, thinking about the pros and cons.

As she thought about it, her grip on him tightened, and he still kept his eyes on her.

"I need the money…" She said, closing her eyes. "I hate my job, but I don't know where else I would work, I don't know how else I'll live…" she shook her head slightly. "The only reason why I'm able to attend school is because of my scholarship."

"Don't worry about the money." He whispered. "Let me take care of you."

"Sasuke…" She closed her eyes. "How long will you be able to take care of me? I need to ensure my future, you should understand…"

"As long as you want, and I do understand, and I don't like what you do for a living."

"I… I have to think…" her voice grew soft. She was tempted to give in to what he offered, and she was scared of having to do what her boss wanted her to do, and the idea that someone may someday buy her wasn't at all thrilling. "There's another way to get me out of the job, but… I don't really want you to-"

"You're a human being Sakura, you're not an object." He said, knowing what she was about to say. "But if I can buy your freedom through it, then…"

"No." She said, shaking her head. "You have no idea how much he would sell me."

He grabbed her hands and pulled them to his lips, his eyes closing the moment he made contact with her fingers. "Then entrust yourself to me."

It was too much for her, having to give herself to him, when they're only in the border of liking each other, and not loving.

"Let me think about it." She said. "I… I need to think this over."

He sighed, but gave a nod and kissed her forehead. "Starting tonight," He murmured. "You're my girlfriend."

"People at school will ignore you too!"

"Good." He answered. "That's how I want my life."

"But they might talk about us, and…"

"Sakura, I don't care." He cupped her cheek with his right hand, while his left was still on her hip. "I just want to be with you."

"You never really showed interest in me before, why start now?"

"Actually, I've been looking at you since first year, I just never had enough guts to talk to you, and I had to confirm my feelings first."

"Fine, I'll leave it at that." She said, pulling away from his grasp. "Just… come back tomorrow morning for my answer."

"Aa." He held her hand for a moment, before leaning the tip of his nose to touch her cheek. "Night."

"Good night." She replied, entering her apartment and leaning her back against the closed door, her ears hearing the sound of his motor's engine taking off. _"Sasuke and I… it's like some kind of twisted fairytale." _A small smile crept up to her lips as she eyed her place, seeing the dining area and kitchen clean, the short path towards her room was dimly lit as always, and her bedroom door was left open, and she could see the red dress she left on the bed. "Better get ready to sleep." She murmured to herself, locking her apartment door and closing the lights in the dining area, before heading off to her bedroom, where a built-in bathroom was.

"_I wonder…" _she thought as she took off her clothes and grabbed a shirt and pajama pants, as well as a towel, before entering the bathroom. _"Should I give myself to Sasuke just to quit my job..?" _her brows furrowed, even as she stepped into the showers and let the hot water touch her nude body and wet her long pink hair. _"I've never considered sex before marriage, and it's not like I firmly believe in doing it after getting married, but…"_ she gritted her teeth and gave a frustrated sigh, before finishing up her bath and get ready for bed.

"What should I do..?"

* * *

The doorbell made her open her eyes, and she sat up to rub the sleep off.

"…What time is it?" She asked herself, looking at the clock on her bedside table. Sighing, she got up and sleepily made her way to the door to open it. "What do you want..?"

"Your answer…"

That voice woke her up.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Yeah, eight-thirty." He shrugged. "I just came from jogging, and… I'm an early riser."

She eyed him, seeing how sweaty he was, saw the iPod nano clipped to the waist of his jogging pants, and noted how his white shirt looked pretty much soaked. "Geez…" She opened the door wider to let him in, so he stepped inside and watched with amused eyes as she staggered a bit while making her way to one of the few cupboards. "…coffee?" she asked, eyes half-closed.

"Are you awake enough to prepare it?"

Her brows furrowed as she glared at him, seeing him smirking.

"You know what," He said, locking the door of her apartment and walking towards her. "I'll take care of the coffee, while you take a bath."

"Fine…" She was too sleepy to argue, so she dragged herself back to her room while he just shook his head and prepared their drinks, thinking that maybe he ought to prepare breakfast as well.

"When you said you'd take care of me, I didn't think of it as _literally_…" she said, sweat dropping while he switched off the stove and placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. "And I had no idea you actually knew how to… well, cook."

"Hn, when my mother was still around, she loves cooking for our meals, despite my father hiring a chef." He sat down next to her with his own plate. "I remember having to help her out most of the time as a kid, and I kind of picked up her habit when she left."

Sakura gave a small smile, a bit surprised that he actually opened up a bit. "So, we're both motherless, but at least you got to know her, right? I wasn't even able to see her in person."

"Well, you had your father around, you felt his care."

"Yours probably just has a… hard time showing his love."

"Hn. How many more years does he need?"

"Um…" she tried to give a big grin. "Let's just eat up."

So they ate.

They would occasionally make small talk, and then remain silent, until another topic is brought up, and they would even laugh about it.

"You know," She said, taking their used dishes to the sink to wash them. "I always pictured this kind of scene, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon." She finished her chore and turned back to face him while leaning against the sink. "In fact, I feel as if this is all just a dream."

He got up from his seat and walked over to her, making her look up at him as he leaned his forehead against hers, their eyes closing at the same time upon contact.

"Are you really here, Sasuke?"

His right hand reached for her left one, and had their fingers intertwined.

"If I open my eyes, will you disappear?"

"No," he leaned his lips to hers for a light kiss. "And I hope you wouldn't be gone when I open my eyes."

"You cornered me Sasuke, how will I be able to leave?"

"You've got a point." He said back, pulling away as they opened their eyes. "Are you quitting your job yet?"

"Maybe not now, give me a week."

He frowned, but nodded none the less, and she smiled at him gratefully.

"What time do you have to go to work?"

"Not until six," she answered. "Why?"

"Hn. Get dressed, we're going somewhere." He turned towards the door. "I'll be back at around… ten probably."

"Okay."

* * *

Kids were too much to handle - in his opinion - but there were some who were really nice and cute, but most were just obnoxious little brats.

"Would you have rather gone elsewhere?"

He instantly turned his frown into a wide grin.

"You don't have to force yourself…"

"No, no!" he defended, shaking his head. "This is where you wanted to go, right? So it's fine!"

She smiled shyly, and gave a nod, their fingers still intertwined as they walked.

"Hey, Hinata," he called out. "Is it just me or is that Sasuke?"

The girl looked at where her boyfriend was staring, and her eyes widened before turning to Naruto, who also looked surprised.

"It's him, right?"

"Yes, with Haruno Sakura." she confirmed.

"I can't believe it!" He laughed. "He actually hooked up with her!" he cupped his free hand on the side of his lips and yelled. "Sasuke-bastard!"

Naruto's blue eyes saw how Sasuke had stiffened and twitched at the nickname, before turning his head to glare at his direction.

The hyper blonde pulled Hinata towards the couple, stopping upon reaching a few feet away from them.

"Naruto, Hinata!" Sakura was alarmed at their arrival. "You're in the amusement park too..?"

"Obviously," Naruto said with a huge grin. "We're in front of you, right?"

"Yeah but… I didn't think we'd see anyone from school here…"

"Ditto," Naruto said, laughing. "I wanted to get away from the familiar faces, what about you? I can understand Sasuke not wanting to see anyone from school…"

"Well, I'm worried about what others will say about him when they see me with him."

Sasuke and Hinata glanced at each other, and then back at the two, sweat dropping as they continued to chat.

"They seem to be getting along…" Hinata commented, smiling at her boyfriend and Sakura's interaction as she flipped her long hair off of her shoulder.

"Hn. Looks like it."

"So, you and her..?" Hinata smiled when Sasuke gave a nod. "Since when, Sasuke-nii..?"

"Last night." He answered, keeping his gaze on his girlfriend. "Karin pushed her into Temari's pool at the party, and when I took her home, she confessed her feelings."

"I'm not surprised," Hinata giggled. "You aren't the type who would confess first."

"Back at you," He smirked. "I know how long you've been crushing on the dead last."

"T-that… well…" She stammered, and he managed to let out a small laugh.

"Hey bastard, Hinata," Naruto called. "Since we're here, let's have a double date, alright?"

Hinata gave a nod, and the three looked at Sasuke expectantly, who sighed and shrugged, muttering how he had no other choice due to all three of them agreeing.

* * *

The four went on different kinds of rides together.

Hinata didn't like the roller coaster, but her three companions wanted to, so she joined them.

Naruto wasn't really into flying fiestas, but he rode it anyway since the rest mocked him for it, except for Hinata who only begged.

Sakura refused the river rapids, but a taunt from Sasuke, as well as a reassurance, made her go.

Sasuke definitely hated to ride the carousel, but Sakura asked him to do it for her, so he ended up riding the contraption with a scowl.

Overall, they had a good time, and Naruto had pictures to prove it.

"Whew! What a day!" Naruto said out loud, raising his arms up in the air while Hinata browsed through the pictures they had taken.

"Hey, Sakura, give me your email address so that I can send some of your pictures to you." Hinata told the pink-haired girl who was walking right next to her, both getting along pretty well.

"Wow bastard," Naruto whispered so that only Sasuke could hear. "I never really thought Sakura could be this kind of girl."

"Hn, sometimes, rumors and gossips in school tend to blind you from the truth."

"Yeah," Naruto smiled at Sasuke, and it wasn't the usual goofy grin he had on, but a genuine one. "I'm really happy for you, Sakura's a really great girl, and I can tell how much you actually care for her."

"Aa, I didn't think I'd really fall for her after last night."

Naruto stopped when his green mind began to function.

"Don't get any ideas, dead last. I meant the confession bit."

"Oh…"

"Can we ride on the Ferris wheel?" Sakura said after a while, hands clasped in front of her when she turned to the two boys who immediately twitched. Hinata backed Sakura up and had a cute pout on her face. "I also wanted to ride it… but if you two don't want to…"

Sakura's face fell as well, and the two boys looked at each other, sighed, and turned back to their respective girlfriends.

"Why not..?"

"Hn…"

The two girls beamed and dragged their boyfriends towards the ride, excited to get on, while the two men felt as if they're about to die due to the cliché and sappy ending.

Instead of going all together at once, they split into pairs, since there was only enough room for two, so Naruto and Hinata went ahead, followed by Sasuke and Sakura.

As soon as the ride started, Sakura quickly looked outside the glass window, her eyes lighting up from the beautiful lights and view of the whole park, and Sasuke couldn't help but be enthralled at her expression, his widened eyes half-closing, his parted lips forming a smile, and his gaze averted from her to the view.

"Thanks," she spoke, looking at him at the same time he eyed her. "This has been the best day of my life."

He gave a smirk. "So far…"

She giggled. "You'd make sure I'll have more to come?"

"Count on it."

"Just don't spoil me." She said, looking down at her feet, her knees knocking together as she rested her folded hands on her lap, her cheeks red when she felt Sasuke's intent gaze on her. "I don't want to get used to this kind of treatment…"

His brows furrowed. "Why?"

"I can be an idealist, but I need to be a realist Sasuke," She looked up at him. "Sometimes, all good things must come to an end, right?"

He shook his head. "That's being pessimistic." He closed his eyes. "Not all good things should end, and if ever, there's always something better to replace them." He looked back at her. "I lost my mother, probably the only person who understood me in the world, and then my brother left, the only family I ever considered since my mother's death," He looked outside. "Everything seemed like… crap to me, until you came." His gaze softened when he looked at her, seeing how her eyes were wide. "As cheesy as it may sound," he added carefully. "Even _I_ haven't had this much fun, and we can keep enjoying life Sakura, if you wish it to be, if you believe it would, then it will."

Whether it was because of his words, or because of her feelings for him, she ended up jumping to his awaiting arms, and they sat like that for the rest of the ride.

* * *

He gripped her hand when she started to shake, fear overcoming her as she eyed the place she worked in.

"I'm going in with you."

She snapped from her train of thoughts to look at him.

"Don't stop me from entering this place," he said. "I won't let you in there by yourself."

"No!" She shook her head furiously. "You can't get involved with this! You just can't!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits, and he grabbed her shoulders harshly to make her face him. "I'm already involved!" he said, his grip tightening. "You're my girlfriend, Sakura, and it's also my fault for not keeping track of time."

"This is my responsibility! I don't want you to-"

Though it wasn't what both of them expected to happen, he kissed her none the less.

"S-Sasuke..?"

"I'm not leaving your side." He said in a tone of finality, turning towards the entrance. "There's no telling what your boss may do."

She gave a defeated sigh and nodded, knowing that he was right, and frankly, she really did want him to be there with her.

They stepped in, Sasuke glaring at some of the male customers who recognized Sakura and demanded for her service with lust-filled eyes and drunken tones. He also snarled at some of the women who tried to catch his attention, and kept his grip on Sakura's wrist tight, making sure she was close to him as they made their way to the owner's office.

With a deep breathe in, Sakura knocked three times, before opening the door and stepping inside. Sasuke followed closely behind before closing the door behind him, and they were face to face with Sakura's boss.

"You show up, but you bring someone along." He began, standing up from his chair with a cold glare on his eyes. "If you had brought a virgin young woman, then I could have easily forgiven you for your negligence."

Sasuke let his instincts take over by stepping in front of Sakura protectively.

"Let me guess, you're… her boyfriend?" the man gave a hollow laugh, before narrowing his eyes at Sakura. "It doesn't matter if you have a boy toy, you're still _clean_, and therefore, you still work here." He looked at Sasuke. "As for you, I could care less if you're together with Sakura, I allowed her to go to the party in exchange for something I want, and your presence won't stop me." He turned back to his employee. "Forget about working tonight, you'll be heading home early with me." He made a move to grab her, but Sasuke pushed the man's arm away and glared.

"Don't touch her." He hissed.

"Don't interfere." The man warned. "I can have you killed and get away with it."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You wouldn't want me to prove my threat."

"I could care less," He snapped. "But I won't let you touch my girlfriend and have your way with her, even if it's a deal."

The older man only turned to Sakura. "You know what I can do to him, Sakura, so you better make a decision, fast."

Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand, and placed her other one on his shoulder, making him step aside.

"Good girl…" The man said, about to touch her but she spoke up.

"Not now." She said firmly. "I'll… go to you later; I need to talk to him first."

The man scowled. "You don't need to talk-"

"It would make it easier for you!" She said back. "I'll talk to him to not interfere so that… that…" she looked away. "You can have your way with me without any interruption."

Sasuke was taken aback by what Sakura said, and he did not like the way her boss had given a triumphant smirk at his way and left the office.

"Sakura, what the hell did you-"

"I don't want him to hurt you!" She said back. "Let me do this, just let me do this one more time! And I promise I'll…" She clenched her fists. "I'll give myself to you so that I can quit this job."

He gritted his teeth. "What do you take me for?! Some guy who just wants to have sex?!"

"That's not what I-"

"Do what you want then!" he said, before turning to leave. "See if I care…"

What he said hurt a lot, and she couldn't help but break down.

* * *

She felt disgusted when she saw the way he smirked and eyed her body – lust was evident in his gaze, and she decided to just turn away, still depressed over her misunderstanding with Sasuke earlier.

"I told you before that having a boyfriend would only lead to problems, didn't I?" he asked huskily, his breath tickling her ear.

Sakura tried to not shake with fear, but she couldn't help but utter the word: "Stop" when her boss had began to grope her body.

"A deal is a deal, Sakura." He reminded, pushing her against the leather couch and pinning her there. "And I wish you wore a skirt instead of jeans, but then," He smirked. "I wouldn't have the excuse of removing it…"

Her eyes began to water when this man had unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, pulling the clothing off of her while he hungrily stared at her creamy thighs, licking his lips for emphasis.

"I'll enjoy this…" she heard him say, before lowering his head with his tongue sticking out, about to lick her legs.

"_God, no, please…" _she pleaded in her mind, wishing that she listened to Sasuke in the first place.

_Bang! Crash!_

Her boss sat up, and she craned her head to look at the broken glass of the living room window.

"What the fuck?!" came the man's reaction as he got up, cursing. "Fucking kids are at it again!"

Sakura was more than thankful for the interruption, but she had not expected another "bang", nor did she think that she would see her boss' head blown off by a bullet, and now lay dead on the floor.

"W…wha…" she could feel her heart begin to palpitate, felt her breathing quicken. Her emerald eyes were so wide with shock that even her pupils began to dilate, and she was shaking furiously, as well as continued sweating like hell.

"You were crying."

She slowly looked up, the killer of her boss stepping closer to her; calm and unaffected by what just happened.

"He was going to do something you didn't want."

She remained silent the whole time despite her mouth hanging open, and she couldn't even move when the assassin was a foot away from her.

"But more importantly…"

Her shoulders felt the weight of a jacket being placed around her, and she was snapped from her trance when she was pulled to him.

"…He was hurting you." His dark orbs narrowed. "Whoever hurts you…"

"S-Sasuke..?"

"…Will die."

* * *

"_Don't leave me…" she cried. "I'm scared!"_

"_I won't." He assured her. "I'm here."

* * *

_

_Apathetic Silence: Some questions will be entertained, and some will not. If I answer everything, then what's the point of having mysteries, right? Thanks for reading! I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but please be patient. _


	2. Obsession and Protection

"_Tell me," he says. "Who made you cry?"_

"_Sasuke…"_

"_Don't worry," he assures. "Tell me who it is…"_

"…_Sasuke…" she tries to calm him down._

"_I'll make him pay."

* * *

_

_**Twisted Apathy**_  
**"**_**Obsession and Protection"

* * *

**_

She couldn't sleep, even if she felt safe and secure, she was still afraid and shocked at what happened earlier.

"…Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper as she stared at the wall next to her bed.

The arm around her waist tightened and pulled her closer against the body next to her.

"Why did you kill him?"

"He won't stop until he gets what he wants from you."

"But-"

"And I don't plan on taking you just to make you quit your job." His brows furrowed. "I'm not that low."

"You could be sent to jail."

"Hn." He closed his eyes and buried his nose on her pink hair, inhaling her sweet scent. "My father won't allow it."

Sakura replayed the events that happened after her boss's death, recalling how he had led her away from the place, remembering entering his car, and realizing later on that she did not put her pants back on, even if Sasuke had handed it to her, leaving her in only her underwear and a lavender long-sleeved blouse.

"Aren't you cold?"

She remained quiet for a moment, glancing at the arm around her, feeling for the warmth that came from him.

It was ironic how he looked so cold when he killed that man she loathed, and yet he was so warm right now.

"Don't you want to change?"

She groped for the blanket and pulled it over them, her eyes slowly closing when her hand found his and had their fingers intertwined.

"Sakura..?"

"No to both questions." She whispered. "But… just don't leave me."

He eyed her for a moment, wondering what had made her decide on that, especially after he just killed a man.

"Please, Sasuke."

His respond was to grip her tighter.

"You may have killed someone," she whispered. "But… I don't know, I can't bring myself to hate you, or even want to get away from you."

"You're not afraid of me?"

"No," she shook her head. "It's odd, I know, but how can I be afraid of you..? You… you only did what you had to do to save me, right?"

She felt his nose nuzzle her neck from the side, and she couldn't help but give a small smile from the affectionate gesture.

* * *

_He hated the way she had agreed to let that man touch her just to keep him safe, and that thought made him decide what he should do._

_Hurting her was the last thing he could think of to keep her from suspecting what he had planned, but he forced himself to say that he could care less of what she wanted to do and left._

_There wasn't much time, so he had to rush to his father's house and take the gun that he hid underneath his bed. _

_He got it as a birthday present from his father's colleague, thinking that the young Uchiha had decided to take the path of a soldier._

_But for once, he was thankful that people thought he would follow Uchiha Fugaku's footsteps, for he was able to undergo a few military training during summer, and he was pretty good in his marksmanship._

_Maybe the sniper rifle would have been the better choice to take, but he wanted to get Sakura out of there as soon as he's done with that man._

Whoever makes you cry…

_He drove as fast as he could to his destination._

…Whoever makes your life miserable...

_He stopped right in front of her boss's house and got out of his car, the desert eagle in his hand as he made his way towards a window, his eyes narrowing upon seeing how Sakura was pushed on the couch._

…Whoever hurts you...

_He pointed the gun on the window and pulled the trigger, alerting the two people inside the house as he hid for a moment and smirked when he noted the clear shot he had for the man's head._

…Will die…

_With his quick reflexes, he shot the man without being seen, a direct hit to the head, and he entered through the window, seeing his girlfriend shocked from what had happened._

…I'll make sure of it.

* * *

The words that left the blonde's mouth were unheard by him, but he could tell that his girlfriend was trying her best not to react.

"I mean, the sight of the body was pretty gruesome! I'm just glad my father took me to the crime scene, so I got a good view of the brains!"

"Naruto..!"

"Oh, sorry Hinata, I forgot how you hate gore."

He sighed and looked elsewhere, not hearing how Naruto had kept calling his attention.

"Damn it, bastard!"

He felt something hard hit his head, causing him to fall off of his seat.

"Naruto!" Hinata scolded.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think he'd get hit!"

His brain told him how painful it was, but he wasn't really in his right state of mind right now and just remained lying there on the grass, eyeing the blue skies, seeing a few birds flying, noticing how there were a few clouds today.

"Bastard, do you mind getting back up? You're making Hinata and Sakura worry."

"Hn."

At least he was capable of responding.

"Are you feeling alright, Sasuke?"

"Aa." He sat up and rubbed his forehead, feeling a small lump. "Just… thinking…"

Naruto snorted, earning a glare from Sasuke. "It must be something important for you to daze off!"

"Dead last…" he muttered under his breath, brushing off dirt and grass away from his pants. He took off his school's jacket and flapped it once to get rid of some of the leaves and twigs that stuck to it, before putting it back on again.

"Neat freak." The blonde murmured, only to be hit by the book he had thrown at Sasuke earlier. "What the fuck?!"

"Hn. I thought you might want it back."

"Why I oughtta-!"

Hinata sighed and turned to Sakura who was eyeing Sasuke with deep concern.

"Did something happen?"

"Huh?" She looked at Hinata. "No, nothing happened, why?"

"You both seem… out of it." She admitted, looking down. "Sasuke is quiet all the time, but not _this _silent, and you, well…"

"Don't worry about it Hinata," She faked a smile. "Sasuke hasn't told me anything yet, so I'm worried what could be the problem."

"Oh, I see." Hinata smiled contently. "If you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate."

"Sure."

The two girls turned back to their boyfriends, sighing when Naruto was running away from an angered Sasuke.

"Why don't we head back to class first?" Sakura suggested with a smile, earning a nod from Hinata.

So, they picked up their things and left the two oblivious boys who were still acting like kids.

"You know," Sakura began, eyeing Hinata, and smiled. "I'm really glad."

"Hm?"

"That you're my friend, I mean, I doubt we'd be hanging out if Sasuke isn't my boyfriend, but I'm just happy that… I get to be normal this time."

"Sakura," Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've always been normal, to me, to Naruto, and to Sasuke."

"Yeah, I know that now."

* * *

It wasn't like she hated attention, but too much of it was something she couldn't handle.

"Well?"

She looked down, her eyes showing a hint of fear.

"I mean, Uchiha can practically have any girl he wants, but he chose you," he smirked. "There must be something in you that piqued his interest."

Sakura tried to back away further, but the wall behind her kept her from escaping, and the fact that Hinata was being held by this boy's friend made her stay there, just to make sure they wouldn't do anything to her new friend.

"Maybe you're good at something," He whispered, leaning closer to her ear while his arms kept her from attempting to escape. "Perhaps you're still a virgin, which is why Uchiha wants you." He glanced at Hinata. "Obviously, he wouldn't dare take Hinata, being Uzumaki's girlfriend," he sneered. "That blonde idiot and arrogant jerk wouldn't _dare_ betray each other," he smirked yet again. "But then, I'm no friend of theirs, so I wouldn't mind taking something Uchiha probably wants, and my friends would love to have you as well, maybe even Hinata for bonus."

That made her narrow her eyes at him and slap his face hard.

"…"

"Men like you," She hissed. "Are the reason why this world can be a pain to live in."

"…You'll regret that." He snarled, lifting his hand and striking it at her face, causing Sakura to fall to the floor as Hinata called out her name. "Just because you hang out with Uzumaki and Hinata, and just because you're Uchiha's girl, does not give you the right to feel high and mighty." He gripped the back of her long hair, pulling her up, causing her to wince. "But then, I like aggressive women, maybe that's one reason why Uchiha wants you so much." He snickered, his friends surrounding them. "We'll enjoy toying with you." He flipped her body so that her back was against the floor, and he straddled her while some of the guys held her arms and legs to prevent her from struggling.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Hinata yelled, trying to get away from the boy who held her, keeping her still.

"Don't worry Hinata, you'll be next." Said the boy, smirking at her before turning to Sakura who kept her glare at him, but he ended up laughing after noting that her eyes had tears in them, and he knew she was frightened. "Scream as loud as you can, no one will come."

"Stop it!" Hinata yelled louder, and repeated those words.

"Damn it! Shut her up!"

The man who held the dark-haired girl covered her mouth, but she still tried to make as much noise as she can.

"Fucking assholes!"

Hinata knew that voice, and relieved tears fell from her eyes when her boyfriend had punched some of the men, including her captor.

"Hinata, are you okay?!" He asked frantically, holding her in his arms.

She nodded, crying onto his chest, and he glared at the fallen boys who narrowed their eyes at him, wiping blood off of their lips.

"Ugh! Fuck, Uchiha!"

Everyone turned to Sakura's assaulter, seeing him being held against the wall, his hands trying to get the hand that choked his neck to let go.

"Let go of me you piece of shit!"

Sasuke's grip only tightened.

Naruto watched his best friend, understanding why he was angry.

"_Even I would be pissed off if they did the same to Hinata…"_

Sakura remained seated on the ground, unmoving from what just happened.

She saw Sasuke's eyes hidden beneath his raven bangs, yet his gritted teeth made her aware of how infuriated he is.

"Fuck, get Uchiha to stop! He could kill Ichiro!"

Naruto's blue eyes widened as a drip of sweat trickled down his cheek.

"_He could kill Ichiro!"_

The words echoed in his head, and without any second thoughts, he let go of Hinata and ran to Sasuke, gripping his arms and eyeing him squarely in the eye.

"Sasuke," He called out, as calmly as he could. "That's enough."

"He made her cry." Sasuke replied, raising his head slightly, and Naruto could see how his dark orbs promised death to Ichiro. "He forced her." His grip tightened on Ichiro's neck, causing the boy to gasp out, his friends watching helplessly, yet in truth, they were frozen from shock and fear. "He _hurt _her."

Those words repeated in Sakura's head as she recalled the previous night, when her boss was killed.

"Calm down." Naruto tried again, his grip on Sasuke's arms tightening. "Just give him a good punch, or a good beating, but _don't_ _kill_ him!"

The word 'kill' was the only thing he paid attention to, and he was more than willing to end this boy's life.

"Sasuke…"

He glanced at Sakura when she finally found the courage to speak. He saw her eyes were shedding tears, and her gaze was on him.

"That's enough, please let him go…" She begged.

Ichiro could feel Sasuke's hold loosen, and finally, he was free from the Uchiha's grip, and he gasped for air and coughed at the same time.

Sasuke knelt down on one knee in front of the boy, glaring as coldly as he could. "You better watch your back from now on." He threatened, getting up and approaching Sakura, helping her up while Naruto led Hinata away, the four not caring if Ichiro's eyes glared at their direction.

* * *

She felt his hand grab her chin, making her face him as he eyed the bruise on her cheek.

"Tch." He gritted his teeth, and he clenched his fists after letting her chin go so as not to hurt her. "That asshole…"

Sakura grabbed his hands to try to calm him down.

"He'll pay for this."

"Sasuke…" she was alarmed when he pulled her into his arms, burying his nose into her hair. "I'm fine." She assured him, clutching his uniform. "I'm okay; just don't… hurt anybody anymore."

"I told you," He said, keeping his arms around her. "Whoever hurts you will pay."

"Sasuke…"

"_Ichiro and his gang will pay for this…"_ he thought.

"…I have to look for a place to work in later." She said, trying to change the subject.

"I'll go with you."

She sighed and gave a nod, pulling away from his embrace as they walked back to class, Naruto and Hinata tailing behind.

"Hey, Naruto…" She called softly. "Sasuke was acting… strange earlier…"

"Yeah," the blonde agreed. "I've never seen him this pissed off." He lowered his head, eyes downcast. "Even I was afraid of him."

Hinata looked worried, and Naruto tried to grin.

"Don't worry! I'm sure he's alright! I understand why he'd get angry after seeing what Ichiro was doing to Sakura; even I would if you were in Sakura's place!"

Shyly, Hinata gave a smile and a nod.

"Anyway, let's get going." Naruto said. "We don't want to be late."

"Yeah."

They arrived at the classroom and parted ways since their seats were far apart from each other.

Sasuke kept his eyes on his girlfriend, wanting to make sure no one would bully her again.

"_I'll keep you safe, Sakura. I promise." _He thought, looking towards the door when their teacher came in.

"Hey, you're early!" Naruto yelled. "Ran out of excuses Kakashi-sensei?!"

"No Naruto, I'm just in the mood to give everyone a quiz."

With that said, the class groaned and unwillingly pulled out their pens when Kakashi began handing out the test papers.

"You may begin."

* * *

"What a tough test!"

"It would have been easy if you only studied."

"Aww… Hinata..!"

Sakura smiled at them, and then looked around the hallway. "What's taking Sasuke so long?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing. She still needed to look for a job, and the earlier she started, the higher the chance she'll get one by today.

"The basketball coach wanted to see him about joining the varsity team," Naruto said. "No doubt it would take them a long time to finish."

"But don't you think it was odd that the coach sent an unsigned note instead of personally asking for him?" Hinata pointed out. "It's strange."

"Now that you've mentioned it," Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It _is _weird."

Sakura couldn't explain why she suddenly had a bad feeling, but she ended up dashing off to the gym and not responding to Naruto and Hinata's calls.

"_If my instincts are correct, Sasuke is in trouble…"_

She passed by a few students who looked her way, obviously the incident that happened last time at Temari's house was still fresh in their minds, and apparently, news has begun to spread. With her pink hair, it's not that hard for the people she didn't know to recognize her, not to mention being Sasuke's girlfriend, he is, after all, still the heartthrob of the school despite being demoted to the lower part of the 'food chain' – as Naruto would playfully call it.

"_That aside,"_ she felt beads of sweat beginning to trickle down her cheeks. _"I just hope being his girlfriend won't lead him to getting beaten up."_

As she continued run, she caught a few words from some students, and her ears twitched a bit when her boyfriend's name and Ichiro were heard.

* * *

"And I thought the Uchiha prodigy is supposed to be smarter than this."

Sasuke chose to ignore the statement and just stood still, eyes glaring and watching as Ichiro and his friends circled him.

"Honestly, an unsigned note? You believed that?"

"…"

"This would be pretty good news to tell."

"Hn." He kept his eyes locked at Ichiro. "Are you honestly this dumb?" he managed a small smirk upon seeing Ichiro twitch. "I figured you'd actually be disappointed if I didn't show up."

"You're bluffing!"

"Assuming that I am," his smirk left his lips, and his glare intensified. "If I didn't show up, I know who you'd go after, and I wouldn't let that happen."

"Don't pretend you've got me figured out, Uchiha."

"But I do," Sasuke said, lowering his head a bit as his smirk came back, and his bangs shielded his eyes. "I know who your parents are."

Ichiro felt a chill run up his spine, but chose to ignore it.

"However, your _real _father left you and your mother after a one night stand, and the one posing as your old man is actually your mother's brother."

"Lies!" Ichiro yelled, seeing how his friends had eyed him for confirmation. "I don't know where you come up with these stupid stories, but that's not true!"

Sasuke raised his head, the sinister smirk still on his lips as he began to snicker. "The only reason why you seem to love bullying others is to hide the facts of your life."

"Shut the fuck up Uchiha!" Ichiro snarled.

"Heh. You're jealous." He muttered, smirking at him. "Jealous that you got dumped when you asked Sakura out during first year, you were the one who started spreading negative rumors about her."

"Like hell I'd ask Sakura out!"

"Don't deny it, I remember arriving at school to witness your rejection, and you were successful in bringing her down after that, and then you began to aim for me or Naruto."

"Don't be so full of yourself Uchiha!"

"You were jealous because you knew Sakura dumped you because she likes me, you were jealous because I live with my _real _father, you were envious at how my mother would give her life up to save me, when yours could care less, you're seething with rage because I became Naruto's best friend, you were so angry at the fact that you aren't part of the popular group."

"You're not a part of it either now!"

"And unlike you, I don't give a shit." Sasuke still retained his smirk. "And if you haven't noticed, you didn't bother denying what I just said."

"…Fuck you Uchiha!"

"Are you that desperate?"

Ichiro yelled and charged at him, punching Sasuke square in the face, causing the raven-haired teen to fall on his back, but he was still smirking.

"I forgot to mention, you're a coward, because you wouldn't bother facing me on your own, and you couldn't fight back earlier, knowing that Naruto was there to back me up."

"You asshole!"

"You're. Weak."

"Damn you, fucking bastard!" he threw a basketball at his head, causing Sasuke to fall back to the ground. He threw another one, and then another, not giving him a chance to get back up.

Ichiro began to grin like a maniac, the assault stopping as he cackled. "Not so tough now are you?"

When the round objects have stopped coming, Sasuke just coughed repeatedly, blood spilling as he wiped his mouth with his left forearm.

"And to think I actually felt like you could kill earlier."

"Hn." He raised his head and smirked at Ichiro. "I could have, you just got lucky."

"You cocky bastard!" he stepped onto Sasuke's stomach, making him cough some more. "You should just fucking die!" he continued his assault, stopping his actions when he began to pant.

Ichiro took a few steps back and eyed at Sasuke's beaten form, not quite satisfied.

"Ichiro…" one of his friends spoke up.

"Beat him up." He ordered.

Without another word, the others eyed Sasuke, and then approached the fallen teen.

"Make sure he doesn't get back up after this." A smirk made its way to his lips as he kept his glare at Sasuke. "He has to pay for the interruption earlier, as well as the lies he said…"

His gang nodded once, and then began to kick and punch, Sasuke raising both arms to block some of the attack.

"Who is weak now, Uchiha?"

When the beating stopped, Sasuke was still conscious. And though he felt the ache of his body, he drew in a deep breath, and then laughed, startling the others.

"What the fuck?" one had asked.

"You," Sasuke answered Ichiro. "You're still the weak one." He continued to snicker, forcing himself to sit up, ignoring the messages of pain being delivered to his brain. "Can't beat me up on your own, Kurosaki?"

Ichiro glared, eyed the gym and saw a Stewart mop lying a few feet away. He walked over to it, picked it up and smirked at the sharp end, which kept the stringed cloths in place.

"Ichiro…" said one of his friends warningly; sweat dripping from the side of his head when he understood what Ichiro planned to do.

He walked towards Sasuke, stopping a foot away from him as he raised the mop, positioning it so that the one end of the horizontal part of the mop would hit Sasuke's head.

"You should have kept your mouth shut, Uchiha."

Before he could bring the mop down, the gym doors slid open, and the gang turned to the intruder, seeing Sakura standing there, panting as she eyed the scene, seeing blood on the gym floor, and her boyfriend beaten black and blue.

"Get her." Ichiro hissed, and Sasuke's eyes widened when he heard his girlfriend yell a 'Let go of me' at Ichiro's friends.

Sasuke turned to Sakura, hoping that it wasn't her, but his blood ran cold when he saw her being held back.

"Perfect." Ichiro said with a smirk, walking over to Sakura.

"Don't you dare Kurosaki!" Sasuke pushed himself off of the ground, but got kneed by one of Ichiro's friend, causing him to fall to his knees and cough out more blood.

"Make sure Uchiha stays still."

Two guys held him down and pulled the back of his hair to make him look up.

"If hurting you isn't enough," Ichiro spoke, smirking at him and then at Sakura as he lifted his free hand to caress the girl's cheek. "Then perhaps doing something to your beloved will be."

Sakura shook her head to keep his hand away, and then chose to glare and spit at Ichiro's face.

Sasuke glared hard at Ichiro. "Don't you _dare._" He seethed. "You're here to deal with me, not her!"

Ichiro eyed Sasuke, then Sakura, as he wiped the spit off with the back of his hand, and then used the same hand to slap Sakura, and he smirked upon seeing how Sasuke reacted.

"Not so calm and cool now, Uchiha?" Ichiro taunted. "Given the position you're in, _touching _her right in front of you would be satisfactory, hurting her afterwards would make it all the more pleasing, especially since you'll be thinking about how you had failed to protect her."

"I _swear_ Kurosaki, if you touch her or even hurt her, I'll kill you!"

"So?" Ichiro pretended to be unfazed. "The fact still remains that I will be her first and she would get hurt, and that you weren't able to do anything but watch." He grabbed Sakura's chin and forced her to look at him. "I hope you struggle, and I hope you put up a fight, it would be too boring if you were willing."

* * *

A sigh escaped his lips while his fingers made a move to massage his temples, before looking back down at the written report on his desk.

"Sir?"

"Cover this." He said. "I don't want anyone to know who killed him."

"Of course, we understand, but do you think the others will agree?"

"I won't let my son go to jail," he shut his eyes. "If this is the only way I can actually take care of him, then so be it."

"What will we tell the media?"

"That the killer fled, and witnesses claim that the suspect broke out from a mental hospital."

"With a gun..?"

"Stolen from a cop, get some people to play the parts."

"Yes sir."

"And Kakashi?" he turned to the silver haired man. "Please, keep an eye on Sasuke."

"I will sir, count on it."

As soon as Kakashi had left, Fugaku stared at the family picture on his desk, his dark eyes staying on his image, seeing how he had a small smile on his lips despite wearing a military uniform, and then at his deceased wife who had a warm smile and carrying a five-year old Sasuke who was grinning happily at his older brother, Itachi, who stuck his tongue out playfully at the younger Uchiha to make him laugh.

"_Mikoto," _he thought, picking up the picture. _"You left too soon," _he leaned his forehead against the picture, his eyes closing. _"Itachi left as well… and you know that I can't handle Sasuke…"_ he pulled away a bit, looking at the snapshot grimly. _"He may be old enough to know what's right and wrong, but he's still so young and reckless…" _he set the image back down and sighed, lacing his fingers together while he let his head rest on it, eyes shut tight. _"What should I do about our broken family Mikoto?"_

Due to being so deep in thought, he had not noticed that his door was slightly open, and that Kakashi had seen the expression on his face, as well as his actions.

"If only you were still around," he said softly, an image of Fugaku's wife in his head. "Then maybe Sasuke wouldn't be who he is now…" he shut the door lightly and walked off, his phone vibrating as he pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller, brows furrowing when he saw the name of his former mentor, also known as Naruto's father. "What is it?"

"You better head back to school."

"Why?"

A pause, and then Minato continued. "I can't explain right now, otherwise, the police will get there."

Kakashi knew this was something bad, and also something related to Sasuke or to Naruto.

"Just make sure to hurry."

"I will." And Kakashi hung up and headed to his car, drove off as fast as he could, before calling HQ to give out Fugaku's orders regarding Sasuke's case. _"This better not be another murder…"

* * *

_

She watched with wide eyes despite being held onto her friend's embrace. She could still get a perfect view of how Naruto continued to punch and kick, of how Sasuke – despite in his weakened state – did not stop punching Ichiro's abdomen while holding him up against the wall with the other hand.

The door of the gym was locked, and the windows were blocked by the dark blue curtains – courtesy of Ichiro and his friends since they were the ones who set up the trap, but Naruto had locked the gym door after he and Hinata arrived, just in time when Ichiro was close to taking Sakura's virginity away.

A thud was heard, and Hinata opened her eyes a bit to look at the damage, eyes widening when she saw so much blood, and how unconscious Ichiro's gang was, Naruto panting and covered in their blood, some of it his own. She eyed her blonde boyfriend, seeing how one sleeve of his uniform was ripped, his school jacket lying on the floor with his tie, and a few upper buttons of his shirt missing.

A continuous cough came from Sasuke's side, and Hinata took note of Ichiro vomiting out blood, his body was shaking, and he was on his knees and hands on the gym floor, Sasuke standing before him, eyes blank, brows furrowed, lips set to a straight line, and fists clenched tightly. His school jacket was discarded earlier, while his tie hang around his neck, undone; the sleeves of his white uniform were rolled up to his elbows, and part of it was tucked out of his pants, not to mention that the buttons were undone, except for the last three ones.

Compared to Naruto, Sasuke was covered in more blood, both his and Ichiro's.

"Done there bastard?" Naruto asked, still eyeing the fallen comrades of Ichiro in case one of them would stir or get back up.

Sasuke remained silent, and when Ichiro raised his head to glare at him, he gritted his teeth and kicked the boy's face, causing Ichiro to fall onto his back, and that was when Sasuke started to beat him up again.

Hinata eyed Naruto with a frightened gaze, pleading him to stop Sasuke, but Naruto was not meeting her eyes and instead, focused onto Sasuke, his blue eyes showing understanding, and he looked pretty nonchalant at what Sasuke was doing.

"Hinata…" Sakura called out weakly, gripping onto the girl's arms. "Hinata…"

"I'm here," she assured the pink haired girl with a small smile, hugging her tighter. "Don't worry." She shut her eyes afterwards, and so did Sakura, when they heard Ichiro cry out in pain.

Sasuke was starting to pant as the adrenaline rush slowly died down, yet his glare remained on Ichiro, who was slowly losing consciousness.

"I _warned_ you." He said, kneeling down on one knee. "I _told _you." He continued, seeing how Ichiro slowly looked up at him. "But you didn't listen." He grabbed him by the collar, and then slammed him back down on the ground, but that was only after he had told Ichiro to watch his back, _again_, and Ichiro knew for a fact that this beating wouldn't be his last.

"Done?" Naruto repeated, still unfazed.

"Aa." Sasuke replied, seeing Ichiro unconscious. "Thanks."

"You know I got your back." Naruto said, managing a grin as he folded his arms behind his head. "And well," he frowned. "They deserved this, Ichiro deserved it, after what they did to you, and to Sakura."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, and then at Hinata and Sakura. He recalled how he watched helplessly when Ichiro had pinned her to the ground and began to force his tongue in her mouth, remembered the way Ichiro's hands touched her everywhere, groped her breasts, thighs, and even went as far as rubbing against her underwear. He can't get rid of the image of Ichiro tearing her clothes, nor could he forget the sound of ripping fabric and Sakura's yells.

If Naruto and Hinata hadn't arrived in time, Ichiro would have taken Sakura.

It did not bother Sasuke that he would be her first – though it did at some level – but what pissed him off was that Ichiro was forcing Sakura into something she didn't want, what made him so angry and blinded by rage was the fact that Ichiro _touched _her and she hated it, _hurt_ her, _forced _her, and made her _cry_; those things were what made him want to do more than just beat Ichiro up – he wanted to torture him so badly, wanted him to beg for mercy but not give it, wanted to so much kill him in the most painful and slowest way.

"Sakura, it's okay."

He heard Naruto say to his girlfriend, and it was then did he snap from his thoughts and made a move to pick up his jacket after buttoning down his shirt. Next, he approached the three, and Naruto stood up, while Hinata pried Sakura off despite the tight grip of the pink-haired girl.

"Sakura…" He called out softly, and she turned her head to meet his gaze, more tears spilling from her eyes when she saw how bloody he was. He took his jacket and had it wrap around her, since her school's jacket and blouse were rendered useless from covering her body, but at least her skirt was still in tact. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you." He spoke, eyes narrowing painfully when the scene that happened earlier played in his head yet again. "I'm sorry."

As soon as the words left his mouth, she had thrown herself to him, his jacket slipping off, as he did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her and close his eyes.

"I want to go home," she murmured in between sobs. "Please…"

Sasuke kissed the top of her head lightly, before nodding once and pulling her up, taking his jacket from Naruto who picked it up, and then wrapped it around Sakura. "Cover yourself." He whispered, and she buttoned his jacket, not caring if it was too big or too loose on her. She quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, while he kept an arm around her shoulder and followed Naruto and Hinata out of the gym.

The moment they were a few feet away from it, Kakashi had stopped and eyed them, and the four stared back; Naruto and Sasuke had blank expressions, while Hinata gave a worried look, and Sakura kept her face buried against Sasuke's chest.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked sternly.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke when he started to walk, not stopping even when Kakashi called his name.

"I asked you a question, _Sasuke_."

The teen stopped and glanced at Kakashi, who had his back turned to him but head poised sideways, one eye looking at him.

"What happened?" he repeated.

"What do you _think_?"

Kakashi was silent for a few seconds, before studying Sasuke's bloody form, and then Naruto's current state, as well as how Hinata avoided eye contact, and how Sakura continued to shake and cry as silently as possible.

"Your silence proves that you know." And Sasuke continued to walk off, Naruto following after Hinata bowed down and tailed after her boyfriend.

With a sigh, Kakashi eyed the gym with narrowed orbs, before pulling out his phone to call an ambulance.

* * *

He pulled away, and she stopped to look at him, and then lower her head.

"Sorry," he murmured. "It stings."

"It's supposed to." She said quietly. "But if you won't go to the hospital, then at least let me treat it properly."

"…fine."

She smiled slightly, and then brought the warm cloth up against his left cheek, watching him as he flinched but kept perfectly still.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Sort of." She admitted, looking down, her hand that was on his cheek beginning to droop, but he held her wrist to keep it there, catching her attention.

Their eyes met, and her gaze softened when she saw the look he sent her.

His eyes have always attracted her, the way they seem so cold, yet so inviting and caring upon closer inspection. She could see the pain and sorrow behind them, including the regret and guilt that welled up inside of him, as well as the assurance and care.

"You don't have to lie to me…"

"I know." She replied, turning to some of his bruises, and then lowering her gaze to his upper body that was exposed for her to see.

In normal circumstances, she would have blushed and inwardly squealed at the sight of his well-toned abs and chest; but due to the bruises present on his pale skin, all she could think of was sadness and pain. It was her entirely fault after all, the same way as her boss' murder was her fault. Sasuke was pushed to kill the man she hated so much, all because of her. Sasuke got beaten for saving her earlier, and he would be in trouble for nearly killing Ichiro after she was almost raped, and Naruto got dragged in, despite the blonde's willingness to jump into the fight.

"Don't blame yourself." He said, causing her to look back at him. "Your eyes tell me everything, but don't think that this is your fault."

"But it is…" She said. "It is my fault, it's my damn fault!"

"No." he said. "I decided to let Kurosaki and his gang beat me up, I was the one who returned the favor when he made you cry."

"But it's because of me that Naruto got dragged in!"

"Naruto and I are best friends, Sakura." He explained. "We made a pact, a promise, that neither of us will face an enemy or a problem alone."

"But even Hinata-"

"Hinata _cares_, Sakura. She cares what happens to you, me, and Naruto, just how much I do, just as much as Naruto does."

"Sasuke, you're hurt badly!" she cried out. "You're beaten black and blue! You could have been comatose for this!"

"Stop blaming yourself for everything!" he yelled, shocking her, which also caused her to shut up. "This happened because I care for you, because I hate anyone who would hurt you, because I can never forgive myself if I just sit back and not do anything while you're suffering!" he stopped and breathed in and out, trying to calm down. "I won't forgive even myself if I failed to keep you safe, and I really hate myself for not being able to prevent Kurosaki from touching you or hurting you." He eyed the bruise on her cheek due to the two slaps Ichiro had given her earlier, and he placed a hand against it, his thumb caressing it softly as he kept his gaze on the bruise. "And seeing you like this, watching yourself wallowing in guilt, is making me feel like a failure…"

She remained unmoving, even when he pulled her into his arms.

"All those years of not being able to protect you from others…" he whispered. "It has to end right now, because I won't allow it."

Sakura's eyes half-closed as she raised her arms to wrap around him, her lids blocking her view, and she buried herself further against his bare chest while he tightened his embrace on her; they remained in that position for a long time, enjoying the silence and warmth, relishing the moment.

Slowly, they pulled away, but their foreheads came in contact, and Sakura kept her gaze lowered, while he looked at her, studying her expression, wondering how they came to this, how her feelings were suddenly known to him, how he ended up from crushing on her, to liking her, and possibly even loving her by now.

"I don't want you getting hurt…" she said, raising her head, their noses touching, some of his bangs tickling her cheeks, their lips close enough to kiss, yet still far from contact. "Because it also hurts me…"

"Same here," he replied, wondering if he should touch her lips with his. "I can't stand it when you're in pain…"

"I don't like seeing you blinded by rage either," she looked away for a while, but their foreheads still remained in contact. "I grow scared when I see that side of you."

His hand against her cheek made her look back at him, and her eyes closed when he kissed her, yet he kept his halfway open, wanting to see her reaction, only closing them once her arms had wrapped around his neck, one hand rising so that her fingers could play with the spikes of his hair.

She kissed deeper, so he pulled her down, causing her hand on his hair to move to the side of his head and against the mattress of her bed. Her other hand slowly trailed to his chest and stayed there, their kiss deepening when their tongues had stuck out and intertwined, hers inviting his into her mouth.

He pulled away to move to her neck, and she only raised her head to give him more access and expose more skin, both their eyes remaining closed as she began to part her lips and let out a soft sigh, followed by a moan which encouraged him to keep going.

She could feel how one of his hands held the back of her head while his tongue licked her throat, jaw, and even flicked her ear, before going back to her mouth for another mind-blowing kiss.

His other hand was around her waist, before lowering a bit to creep up under her shirt and touch her bare back, receiving another erotic sound from her, and he continued all the way until he felt the clasp of her bra, and he unhooked it, glad that it was strapless, before he pulled it off of her.

They parted, and he eyed how hard her nipples were, making her pale blue shirt look tight around her chest area.

Sasuke could feel how tight his pants had grown, and he knew what was happening down there, and he bet Sakura was aware of his growing erection, for she moved so that she was straddling his hips, making her core press against his groin, and he couldn't help the groan from escaping his mouth. She opened her eyes halfway in order to see his expression, and she rubbed against him, seeing his closed eyes shut tighter, feeling how his breath quickened, and how he was beginning to sweat when she continued to rub slowly and sensually.

Sakura felt dominating, being on top of him and seeing his expression, and how he had placed his hands on her hips to somewhat control her movements. She herself had begun to pant and sweat, but it was nothing compared to how turned on he was, since he was groaning a lot, and she didn't want to stop teasing him. Her fingers began to trace every skin and muscle of his upper body, and he shuddered a bit at her sensual touches, loved how she leaned down and kissed his jaw, neck, and then chest, before letting her tongue out to lick the skin, all the way up to his ear, which she nibbled lightly, before breathing onto it, making him feel much more turned on.

This was a whole new level for them, and neither seemed to plan to stop.

Their eyes met when he opened his halfway to look into her lust-filled orbs. She had stopped her hips from swaying as they both tried to catch their breaths, yet it seemed pretty difficult since their eyes were on each other, seeing how sweaty they were, and how their breathing was fast and labored.

He made the move to place his fingers on the waistband of her white shorts, recalling how they ended just an inch below her rear.

"Why bother wearing these?" he commented after finally catching his breath.

She looked into his eyes and gave a small yet playful smirk. "Are you complaining?"

He returned the same smirk and slightly lowered the clothing, keeping his eyes on hers to see if she would protest, but she didn't, so he lowered it further yet slowly to add the sexual tension, and she lifted herself up a bit to help him out, only getting off of him and the bed to stand next to it and pull it off completely, tossing it behind her before climbing back on top of him, straddling him yet again, and then crashing her lips on his to pick up from where they last left off, especially after she felt how his penis continued to harden.

Sakura pulled off her shirt after parting from his lips, sitting on him and letting his eyes stare at her nude top, her round breasts full, her nipples so hard that she could feel them aching.

Her cheeks flushed when he continued staring, and she felt smug that he was baffled at the sight, so she leaned down to kiss him, and then moved to his ear. "Don't even think about being _nice_." She said. "I don't want you stopping."

His answer was to switch their positions, smirking at her surprised expression. "If you say so…"

If she wanted him to keep going, he would. Just the fact that she didn't stop him from removing her bra, and that she had personally pulled off her shorts and shirt were enough signs, and her exposing herself to him was already a go-signal.

* * *

"Damn it…" he cursed and grabbed his phone, answering the caller with a groggy hello.

"Naruto."

"…Eh? Uncle Fugaku?"

"Where's my son?"

"How should I know?!"

"So he's not with you then."

"…Wait, he's not home?!"

"No, and even Kakashi has no idea where he is."

Naruto blinked, now fully awake; he sat up carefully and eyed the sleeping for of his girlfriend, smiling slightly before getting out of bed and keeping the blankets over her naked body.

"Do you have any clue where he could possibly be?"

"Just one," Naruto mumbled. "He's probably at Saku-" he cut himself off when he realized that he was about to tell Fugaku that his best friend could be at Sakura's place, and that could mean that Sasuke might be staying there, and could possibly be _busy _with her, just how he and Hinata got busy tonight.

"What?"

"Sa…ku…no's." he finished lamely. "Yeah, his partner in… science." He kicked himself mentally, turning a bit red since science was related to _life_, which could also mean _producing _life, which translates to Sasuke and Sakura having sex.

"His phone is off."

"Oh, right, he told me he'd keep it off, since he wanted to finish the project soon! I mean," he tried to laugh. "You know how he is about school projects; he doesn't want to be disrupted."

"Do you know if he's staying over?"

"He might, he mentioned something about wanting to get it done soon, so that he wouldn't stay over the next day."

"…Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"Classes are cancelled, didn't Kakashi-sensei tell you?"

"He must have forgotten. Any reason why?"

"…There was trouble at the gym earlier, and the teachers are worried that the other students might be next."

"Alright, sorry for disturbing you."

"It's fine uncle, have a good night."

And they hung up.

"Naruto..?"

The blonde turned to Hinata and grinned. "Hey, sorry, did I wake you up?"

She shook her head sleepily and rubbed one eye, sitting up yet keeping the blankets around her body. "Who was that?"

"Sasuke's father, apparently," he grinned. "My buddy is starting to rock it with Sakura."

Hinata blushed and looked elsewhere. "I-I see…" She stammered, recalling what she and Naruto did earlier as well.

"Are you sure your father won't find out about you being here?"

"No," She said. "He's out of the country."

"Great," Naruto grinned. "Care for another round?"

"N-Naruto! What about your parents?!"

"Dad's working late, and mom sleeps like a rock," he crawled towards her and smirked slyly. "What do you say?" and he wriggled his brows suggestively that she couldn't help but giggle and lie back down when he crawled on top of her.

"Okay, but this will be the last one tonight."

"Deal." And he kissed her lips, her arms instantly wrapping around his neck as he made a move to pull off the blankets to expose her body to him.

"Naruto," she murmured, pulling him away slightly. "Turn your phone off if you don't want interruptions."

"Ah damn, I forgot." He got off of her and picked up his phone, switched it off and turned to her to see her giggle, the blankets back over her body. "Aww… Hinata! That's not fair!"

"You'll have to work for it Naruto." she teased, and he smiled, knowing that no one else will see this playful side of hers but him.

* * *

The rays of the sun made her eyes shut tighter as she stirred a bit, before turning away from the window and opening her eyes, smiling upon seeing her boyfriend still fast asleep, his bangs swept to one side for lying sideways, facing her, one arm around her waist.

With a playful grin on her lips, she leaned closer and kissed his lips, making his brows furrow in confusion, before opening his eyes to see a mop of pink hair, and then felt soft lips press harder.

He pulled away a bit, eyes blinking when the sun's rays had greeted his dark orbs.

"What time is it..?" he asked.

She giggled, and then looked at the wall clock of her room. "Around seven-forty, why?"

He stared at her for a moment. "Seriously..?"

"Yeah."

And last night's activities plagued his thoughts.

"Hn. Must have been too tired from last night." He sighed softly and pulled her into his embrace.

"Looks like it, since you did tell me how you're an early riser."

"Hn…"

"Sasuke," she whispered. "We have to get up."

"…Ngh."

"Aren't you a bit lazy..?"

"Five more minutes…"

"I still need to look for a job."

"It's too early."

"I thought you're an early riser? Why are you complaining?"

Sasuke grunted, but sat up and yawned. "Fine." He rolled his eyes when Sakura laughed and got out of bed, taking the blankets with her. "And since you don't have clothes…" she murmured, walking over to her closet. "I guess some of my father's old ones will do."

"Aa, I'm not in any position to complain." He flinched a bit when his abdomen started to ache. "Tch." He glanced down, remembering his fight with Ichiro yesterday. _"If I see that son of a bitch again…" _his thoughts trailed off when Sakura had tossed him a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark green shirt. "Hn… thanks."

"Go take a shower, it would wake you up."

He smirked at her. "Care to join me?"

Sakura blushed, unable to answer since he didn't give her much of a choice after he pulled her inside the bathroom.

* * *

"Man, I'm still too sleepy…"

"You should really try being a morning person, Naruto."

"Bah, you and Sasuke always say that, but it doesn't work, see?"

"That's because you're not trying." Hinata said with a smile, looking down at her bagel. "Drink your coffee to wake you up."

"Why are we here at Starbucks? Ichiraku is nearer…"

"Ramen isn't a healthy breakfast Naruto."

Naruto pouted, but he still ate his chicken sandwich.

Satisfied, Hinata continued eating her food and sipping her hot drink, looking up when Naruto straightened up from his seat and pressed himself against the window. "Naruto..?"

"Isn't that..?"

She followed his gaze, and smiled. "You want to ask them to join us?"

Naruto chuckled, eyeing how his best friend had intertwined his fingers with the pink-haired girl. He noticed the smile on Sasuke's lips, and the way he looked at Sakura who was busy talking about something.

"Naruto?"

"Let's leave them be." He turned back to his food, and then at Hinata. "The bastard's lost in cloud nine."

Hinata raised a brow, turned back to Sasuke and giggled, getting what her boyfriend meant. "He's really in love with her."

"Yeah, and I'm glad."

She watched the couple stroll down the street, and then sighed and shook her head, the smile not leaving her lips as she forked a piece of her bagel and placed it in her mouth. She stopped chewing when a group of boys caught her eye, and the presence of the group made her drop her fork.

"Hinata..?"

She immediately stood up, her eyes filled with worry and concern.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"K-Kurosaki…"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he looked outside, confirming who Hinata saw, and from the way the guys walked and glared, something told him that those bats aren't for playing baseball.

"Are they..?"

"We need to get to Sasuke and Sakura." Naruto got up and grabbed Hinata's hand, about to cross the street but a few cars passed by, making him lose sight of where Ichiro's gang headed. "Shit." He cursed, taking his phone out and dialing Sasuke's number, cursing when it was out of reach. "Damn bastard didn't switched his phone back on." He tried Sakura's, but it just continued ringing. _"Silent mode..? Damn."_ He looked for Kakashi's number, about to press call, but hesitated. _"If I called Kakashi-sensei, news will get to uncle Fugaku, and Sasuke would be in bigger trouble." _He began to sweat as he tried to think of a solution, before cursing and dragging Hinata down the street.

"N-Naruto?!"

"No other option but to get to them in time."

Hinata was just thankful that Naruto's old clothes fit her perfectly, so she didn't have trouble keeping up.

* * *

"Haven't you had enough, Kurosaki?"

"Don't be so cocky, Uchiha." Ichiro took a few steps forward, smirking at the way Sasuke pushed Sakura behind him. "You're cornered, and I'm just glad the two of you decided to go to the hilltop."

Sasuke glanced behind them, seeing how the drop didn't seem deadly, but bad enough to cripple them. His eyes looked back at Ichiro and his friends, cursing inwardly upon seeing that he and Sakura won't be able to escape without a fight. _"But I'm outnumbered here, and they have bats with them." _He narrowed his eyes. _"It would be a bit easier if they didn't have weapons."_

"Aren't you quiet?" Ichiro said smugly. "Yesterday, you were throwing insults back and forth, even threatening me when you were so helpless as I played with Sakura."

Sakura grabbed Sasuke's arm when she saw him shake in fury.

"Tell you what," Ichiro looked at the bat in his hand. "I'll let Sakura off, but you'll have to make up for that."

"What do you want?"

"I knew you'd do anything to keep her safe." He mumbled. "Your beating yesterday wasn't enough, so we'll have to double it, to the point wherein you can't get back up, or at least limp your way back home."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, and then back at Ichiro. "If I agree, you'll let her off."

"Sure."

"You won't hurt her."

"Whatever floats your boat."

"You won't touch her either."

"No problem."

"You'll leave her alone."

"I swear."

Sakura shook her head at Sasuke when he looked at her.

"Well, Uchiha?"

"…Deal."

* * *

"_Why? Why do you do this?"_

_He smiled. _

"_Why?!"_

"_Because…" he closed his eyes. "I love you."

* * *

_

_Apathetic Silence: Well, I decided to stop there for now, since I'm still debating whether to go with option A or B, which I won't be telling any of you. Thanks for the reviews! Again, I'm not sure when I'll be updating the next chapter._


	3. Trigger Happy

_**Apathetic Silence: **__Okay, after much persuasion from my cousin –who is currently glaring at me- I'll continue this story. She went on about how she still didn't give up on __**Genjutsu **__despite the two-year hiatus she went through, and now, I am being forced to finish this. Well, most of you also made me want to proceed, so okay, I won't let you guys down this time. I just won't be able to update fast, okay? Okay. Besides, I've already started this chapter way back, I just didn't know how to finish it, or even continue it, but… *cue the glare my cousin is giving*_

_Yeesh. And you wonder why you get Sasuke in every character quiz, and why you always end up as Sasuke in RPGs… your glare could match his._

_**CrAzY-SiLLy-Me: **__I've accepted the fact that I am associated with anime guys who are like Sasuke, so no use trying to make me sulk. *glare* Also, I only get hyper when it comes to SasuSaku or some things I like. :3 Now… __**TYPE**__._

_Hello readers~ :D Haha.

* * *

_

_He just grabbed her hands and slowly lowered them._

"_I… He was…"_

_He pulled her in for an embrace._

"_He tried to kill you, Sasuke…"

* * *

_

**Twisted Apathy**_**  
"**__**Trigger Happy"**_

* * *

"Alright," Ichiro smirked. "Talk it over."

Sasuke instantly turned to Sakura. "Just keep running and don't look back."

"No, I don't-"

"Please."

She couldn't say no to him after he pleaded, after he looked at her in a way that he was desperate.

"Go."

She glanced at Ichiro and his friends who were waiting impatiently to get started.

"I'll meet you later." Sasuke assured.

She gripped his hand tightly, and then let go, walked pass Ichiro, glanced back at Sasuke who kept his eyes on her, and then she turned away with her eyes forming tears before she ran off, deciding that she'd just go and get help, knowing that Ichiro will use her against Sasuke, and that wouldn't be any better.

* * *

"Naruto! Look!"

The blonde eyed where Hinata pointed at, spotting Sakura running towards them with tears in her eyes.

"Sakura? What's wrong? Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked as soon as the pink-haired girl had thrown herself at him.

"Kurosaki!" she yelled. "Kurosaki's going to hurt him again!"

Without any more words being said, Naruto let Sakura go and ran off to where she came from, leaving Hinata to comfort Sakura.

"Don't worry," Hinata assured. "Everything will be fine."

Sakura continued crying as she gripped onto Hinata, her thoughts running back to when Sasuke had said that he would protect her no matter what, and that Naruto and Hinata care for her. With those in mind, she pulled away from Hinata slightly, though still crying, and turned to where Ichiro and his gang were currently beating Sasuke. Without hesitating, she sprinted back to the hilltop, ignoring Hinata's protest.

"_No more…"_ She thought, not caring how many tears she has already spilled. _"I don't want to stand by and watch,"_ she shut her eyes and sprinted faster, Hinata trying to catch up. _"I want to protect you too, Sasuke…" _she was close to the hilltop, and her ears could pick up the faint sounds of bats colliding with someone, and how the receiver would cry out in pain. She strained her ears, checking if she'd pick up Sasuke's voice, but she didn't, and she grew much more worried when the idea of him passing out crossed her mind. _"No… no he won't."_ she thought to herself, getting a view of where she last left Sasuke, and saw how Naruto had punched a guy, and was soon held from behind by the waist by another boy, as the one he punched got back up and attacked him.

She saw Ichiro bringing down a bat repeatedly, and she could tell that the fallen figure who was on his hands and knees was Sasuke.

"_His wounds aren't healed yet!"_ she willed her feet to move faster, and before she knew it, she already ran pass Naruto, who called out her name and told her to stop, but it fell on deaf ears as she felt as if time slowed down when she drew nearer to Ichiro, and without pausing, had shoved him aside, causing the boy to fall off from the cliff and land improperly. Ichiro's scream only meant that he had broken something due to the fall.

"Shit! Ichiro!" his friends rushed over to the edge to check their leader, and they turned to Sakura who was on her knees, panting due to the adrenaline rush she just had.

"You bitch!" one yelled, getting up, about to approach her. "You did this!"

Sasuke spat out blood and took note of one of the guys approaching Sakura, so he immediately got to his feet and tackled the boy, pinning him down face first. "Get out of here Sakura!" he told her, keeping the guy steady. "Get out of here!" he yelled again once police sirens were fast approaching.

Hinata rushed over to Sakura and pulled her away while the rest of the guys began running for it, not caring if they left Ichiro behind.

Sasuke felt the person he attacked push him off and make a run for it, while Naruto soon went to him and helped him up. "Come on Sasuke, let's go!"

They took off and ducked behind some thick bushes nearby when the cops came, expecting to stop another brutal fight.

However, they were surprised to discover nothing but bats and blood, plus the non-stop screaming of Ichiro whom they immediately assisted.

"That was close." Naruto fell back and let out a breath he was holding. "You okay teme?"

"…Barely." He muttered while placing his left hand on his right shoulder, the action causing him to flinch. "Damn Kurosaki."

"Well, with that crippled leg," he pointed at Ichiro who was being assisted onto a stretcher and scolded by a few cops. "I doubt he'd be crossing us some time soon."

"His gang might."

"We'll be ready for them when the time comes then."

"Hn." He was silent for a few seconds before speaking once more. "Hey, dobe."

"What?"

Sasuke lowered his head slightly so that his bangs could hide his eyes. "I owe you one."

Naruto blinked, and then grinned. "You know, saying 'thanks' isn't bad! And besides, you owe me more than once!"

"Hn."

"Ahem."

The two of them looked up when a shadow loomed over them.

"Oh shit." Naruto cursed.

"To the station we go boys." The cop said with a grin. "And don't worry; your friends were also captured."

* * *

He kept his glare at the two police officers who were staring down at him, Naruto, Ichiro, and the other guys they fought with.

"You're really in no position to glare Uchiha." The cop who caught them huffed. "I'm not afraid of your father."

"Cool it Anko." The other said. "Uzumaki, right?"

"What's it to you?"

"Your father is a famous cop," he eyed the blonde teenager. "He made you take your mother's last name in order to protect you from his enemies."

"…falling asleep here..."

"But the resemblance you share with him instantly gives your identity as his son away."

"So..?"

"Your father's reputation is affected due to your recklessness." He turned to Sasuke. "Same goes for your old man, Uchiha."

"Ch." He glared at Ichiro and his gang, who glared back. "They started it."

"Fist against fist doesn't solve everything."

"Then how the hell do you think some wars ended in the past?" he snapped. "One end shoots, the other returns fire, they kill each other off until one is victorious; look it up in the History books."

"I know my History, brat." he twitched. "But you should know that some ended the war with the use of peace treaties."

"Which did not always work, _Morino_." He seethed. "And these guys," he gestured at Ichiro and friends. "Do not talk with their mouths or with pens and papers, they talk with their fists, so we socialize the same way." He leaned back on his chair. "They do not understand human language, and only know how to communicate through brawn."

"Fuck you Uchiha!" Ichiro stood up in an attempt to jump at him, but he fell back onto the chair due to his broken leg.

"You're still _that _desperate to get _laid_, Kurosaki?" Sasuke monotonously retorted. "Sorry, I've already got a girlfriend."

That resulted to both parties starting another argument.

"This could take a while…" Anko muttered.

* * *

Both Sakura and Hinata immediately stood up when they spotted their lovers exit the interrogation room. Due to what had really happened, they would be let off easily, for now, but are warned to not do this again.

"Like hell." Naruto said under his breath once Ibiki returned inside the room with Anko to further talk to Ichiro and his gang.

"How did it go?" Hinata asked Naruto while Sakura embraced her boyfriend. "Are you both off the hook?"

"Sort of." The blonde said. "We were told to make sure this wouldn't happen again, otherwise, they won't be as lenient."

"Ch. As if." Sasuke grunted. "As long as Ichiro still continues pestering us, then there will be a fight."

"Yeah, so maybe next time, you and Sakura can remember to keep your phones on or at least, not in silent mode after a good romp."

Sakura blushed whereas Sasuke just twitched and glared at Naruto.

"Well, my phone's... gone." Sakura mumbled. "I called the cops on the way back to you guys, and one of Ichiro's friends got it and... you get the whole idea."

"I'm buying you a new one." Sasuke said.

"I don't need one, okay? Forget it."

Naruto chuckled and wrapped an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Come on you bastard, just give me another 'thank you' for showing up! You know you want to~"

"Go to hell." He grunted, pushing the blonde off. "I'd rather bite my tongue than thank you, _again_."

"But I'm your best buddy!"

"Hn…"

"Say thank you Sasuke! Say it…" he pestered, poking the dark-haired boy's arm. "Say it, come on… say it~"

"Ngh. Fine, thanks."

"YEAH!" Naruto raised both arms in the air. "Now to rub it in your face!"

Sakura just smiled at their interaction, hoping that things would be normal from here on out.

* * *

Though she hoped for the best, not everything goes the way people really wish them to.

Attention was something she didn't want, which is why she chose to just remain hidden in the shadows…

But then, she should expect that being the girlfriend of Uchiha Sasuke would mean catching the eyes of many, but the worst part is that it's not only her relationship with him.

Someone had managed to leak out her previous job, and what had happened to her boss. Someone had spread in school that she pushed Kurosaki Ichiro off the cliff, and that someone didn't even bother to mention that it was to save Sasuke.

Forgetting about that, she's a lot more worried at where Sasuke stands right now, since there have also been exaggerated rumors that were spread about him.

Such as being part of a mafia, or maybe even saying that he planned on killing off Ichiro and his gang…

Seriously, high school discrimination _–and stereotypes-_ can be such an ass.

"Hey."

She snapped from her deep thinking and looked up at Hinata, who smiled at her.

"Don't stress about it."

Sakura forced a smile, before letting her mind drift once again.

Hinata and Naruto were dragged in because of her, even if Naruto had said multiple times that he could care less, as long as he could help out Sasuke and her, she still felt downright guilty. And then, each time she's with Hinata, trouble always follows, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to Hinata.

"Stop thinking about it."

She blinked and raised her head to meet her boyfriend's eyes that were narrowed.

"They could care less about how you feel, so screw them."

"You can't expect me to just… pretend as if nothing happened."

"Then you can at least ignore them! Stop letting them get to you!"

He was agitated, she knew, because he still needed to keep an eye out for any trouble, and for that, she felt so annoyed and defenseless.

"Don't stop me from caring about you, Naruto, and Hinata." She told him, getting up from her seat to dispose her trash. "It's only human." And she exited the cafeteria room.

"Better go after her." Naruto commented after hearing Sasuke curse and get up to run after Sakura.

"Naruto..?"

"Don't. Even. Start." He sighed, groaning. "We can't get in their way, they have to fix this."

"…I was just going to ask if you wanted some more ramen."

"…Oh."

* * *

"Sakura!" he called her and ran after her, but she kept walking away, and he was just at least glad no one was around. "Sakura! Damn it, Sakura! Will you please just-" he grabbed her arm, but she pulled it away harshly and glared at him, and he was taken aback to see that she had been crying.

"Why can't you understand how I'm feeling?"

He sighed and scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward. "That's not it…"

"Then what?"

"It's… hard." He told her. "It's hard for me to accept that you're in this situation because… you're my girlfriend."

"Are you saying that…"

"Will you just shut up for a while..?" He sighed again and muttered a few words that she didn't get. "I'm not planning or thinking of ending what we have, okay?" he saw her nod once, so he proceeded. "It's more on… well…" he turned a bit red and looked away. "I wanted to know if you'd consider… maybe…"

She wasn't used to him not getting to the point, and in all honesty, she found it amusing.

"Moving…in… with me..."

"Huh?" she tilted her head a bit, unable to hear him due to his soft voice.

"Move in with me." He said, his cheeks still red despite trying to fight it. "I mean… you'd be… safer… and…"

Sakura smiled slightly, and then wiped her tears away and started laughing a bit.

"Stop making fun of me."

"You're struggling, how can I not enjoy it..?"

"Ch. Annoying girl." He looked away. "Just answer me already."

"I don't mind but…" she looked down. "You live with your father, right?"

"You think I'd ask you to move in with me knowing my father is around?"

"You don't mean-"

He sighed. "I'll explain some other time, but… just… well, yeah."

"Who would have thought you're a random guy."

"…Just answer with a yes or no."

Sakura just shook her head and moved to kiss him.

* * *

"Going somewhere?"

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, seeing his father standing by the door of his room.

"Look," his father continued. "I won't stop you if you want to stay somewhere else, but just…" he lowered his head. "Drop by once in a while."

"Why?" he asked, returning to packing his things. "Will you be home?"

It didn't seem like a question, but something more like mockery.

"It's not like you'll know if I'm around or not." He zipped his sports bag and picked it up, afterwards, turned to face his father. "But for the sake of it and for getting some of my other clothes, then fine." He walked out of his room after grabbing his motor keys. "I'm off."

"Keep out of trouble, Sasuke."

He stopped, eyes narrowing all of a sudden.

"Not because you carry the Uchiha name, but rather because…" Fugaku dared to look at Sasuke. "You're my son."

Whether it was because his father acknowledged him as his son, or because he felt guilty, he just decided to walk at a fast pace to get out of there, or he might not be able to move out at all.

"_Aniki, did you feel the same..? Or did you really… leave without thinking twice?"_ he mounted his bike and started the engine, afterwards, left the vicinity of the mansion. _"Why won't you even write or visit..?"_ he picked up the pace and did a few turns before heading inside the spacious lot in front of an apartment. He removed his helmet and looked towards the door on the third floor, before getting off of his bike and climbed up the stairs to his new home.

* * *

"What took you so long?"

He smiled slightly when his girlfriend came up to him and took his helmet. "Sorry."

"I thought your father stopped you." She sighed. "Are you sure about this..?"

"Yeah." He stepped inside and closed the door, afterwards, locked it and dropped to the ground, sighing. "I just need to go back from time to time to visit."

She smiled and knelt down before him, in between his legs. "Maybe I can go with you and meet your father in person."

He blinked and raised a brow.

"It's only proper, don't you think?" she tilted her head, the smile still on her lips. "I should introduce myself so that he'll know who your girlfriend is."

"Hn." He looked to the side. "Whatever."

She poked his cheek, making him look back at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing you should worry about."

"Really?"

"Aa." He placed a hand against her cheek, slowly traveling to the back of her head, afterwards, pulled her to him so that her lips could meet his for a short moment. "It's nothing."

She kept her eyes on him, trying to spot a clue that may answer her question, but her eyelids closed when he moved in to kiss her again. He let his tongue out to coax hers out of her mouth, and then started playing with the hem of her shirt, teasing her a bit when his fingers touched her skin, and she pulled away from the kiss and glanced to the side when he continued to press his lips on her jaw, and then neck.

Her lips parted slightly as she whispered his name, and he leaned forward, making her lie on her back as her core instinctively pressed against his groin when he straddled her.

He responded by thrusting forward and watching her with his eyes, seeing how she made encouraging moans as he pushed himself against her.

He was snapped from the turn-on image of his girlfriend when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and she reacted at how it felt against her.

"Fuck." He pulled back and took out the device in order to answer the caller, but his gaze remained on Sakura's sprawled form on the floor, legs apart and hair a mess while her breathing was labored. "Hello?"

"Teme!"

He kept his eyes on her when she sat up and crawled over to him, pushing him down on his back as he tried to talk to Naruto.

"What?"

"How come you aren't answering my messages? Man, where the hell are you?"

"Apartment." He answered, managing to keep his composure even when he felt Sakura's lips on his neck. "Why?"

"Dude, you're with Sakura right? Come on over here!"

"Where?" he bit his lower lip to hold back a groan when her hands had lowered to the crotch part of his jeans.

"The usual bar-slash-restaurant we go to! No worries about loud music, right?"

He briefly recalled the last time he and Naruto went there to discuss about family problems.

"I mean, I know how you hate crowds too."

He remembered why they chose that place to go to whatever the occasion – it suited not only the single people but even those who were in a relationship or married.

"Classy bar, fine alcoholic beverages, relaxing music, yeah?"

He sighed silently and fought hard to suppress the pleasure he was feeling from receiving a hand job from his girlfriend.

"And Hinata's here too, okay? So it's a double date of sorts! What do you say?"

_No_ would have been his real response, especially with the heat he was feeling, but he did owe his best friend…

"Hn. Fine," he grunted, but that wasn't because of his response, but rather, due to Sakura's actions. "I'll-" he corrected himself. "We'll be there."

"Great! I'll tell Hinata!"

He hung up and turned to Sakura who gave him a small smirk.

"You did that on purpose…" he said, almost out of breath.

"I'm not letting you release just yet." She murmured before kissing his lips. "You started this…" she said against his lips, before pulling away slowly to tempt him for more.

And tempted he was – because he suddenly grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back for another deep and lust-filled kiss.

He set her back down on her back on the wooden floor, straddling her hips again while she arched her back so that her core would meet his groin.

"Naruto and Hinata are waiting." He whispered, nibbling her ear.

"And…?" she undid his pants once she felt his fingers push her skirt up and pull down her underwear.

"This would have to be quick."

She responded by pulling his pants and boxers down, afterwards, positioned herself beneath him. "Then make it quick."

* * *

"Man, what took you?"

"I forgot the directions." He said and scratched the back of his hair – which was messier than usual.

Sasuke's black hoodie was a bit wrinkled, and his grey shirt wasn't tucked in his pants completely. Not to mention that his belt wasn't looped properly, and _hell_, his zipper was halfway open. As for Sakura, well, her blue shirt seemed okay despite the fact that it needed to be ironed, and her white skirt was fine too – save for the small specks of dirt here and there, but the way she walked and held onto Sasuke's hand told another story.

And for that, Naruto raised a brow. "Think I'll buy that?"

Sakura just gave a sheepish smile while Sasuke sighed.

"It was worth a shot." The Uchiha teen mumbled.

He pointed a shrewd finger at his best friend. "You just got _some_ from Sakura, didn't you?"

He smirked.

Hinata turned to Sakura who gave a small smile. "I take it everything's fine?"

"Yeah," She said to the usually quiet girl. "Never better."

"Oh geez, sit down you horny bastard." Naruto grunted, obviously displeased that his best friend had sex before even coming here.

"Ch. Like you don't think of sex all day long."

"Hey!"

"Don't deny it, dead last."

Hinata and Sakura looked at each other as their respective boyfriends argued.

"Let's just order for them." Hinata smiled. "I know what Naruto usually eats here."

"Um…" Sakura eyed the menu that a waiter handed to them. "I… don't really know what Sasuke orders."

Hinata smiled. "Just order anything that isn't spicy or sweet, and he'll eat it." She looked over at the beverages section after telling the waiter her order and Naruto's. "Hmm… the usual." She closed the menu as the waiter nodded and looked towards Sakura.

"Um…" she eyed the multiple list of food to order, and decided to just pick something from the chicken and beef variety, unsure if Sasuke would like either of the two.

The waiter then left to fetch their oders.

"Hinata, what exactly did you order for our drinks?"

She just gave a smile. "You'll find out later."

* * *

This was… unexpected.

He wasn't sober, but he wasn't drunk.

"Temeeeee!"

He gave Hinata an accusing look, and the girl just gave a smile.

"Sasu…keeee…"

Seems like Sakura and Naruto had something in common…

"Hinata," he grumbled, trying to shove Naruto off of his arm, while keeping Sakura on her seat since she kept swaying from right to left. "Just how much alcohol was in that?"

"About… twenty-six percent." She shrugged. "I guess we can still hold our alcohol pretty good."

"I'd rather you and Naruto get home safe."

"Don't worry, his driver took us here, he'll be taking us home too." She blinked. "And you?"

"Hn. I'm just glad we took a cab to get here instead of my bike."

"Well," she finished her drink. "I guess we'll drop you off, ne?"

Sasuke flushed when his girlfriend had suddenly sat on his lap and purred his name.

Naruto pouted and pulled Hinata to his lap.

"Dobe, control yourself." He scolded the blonde-haired boy, who just stuck his tongue out at him before nuzzling Hinata's neck, the girl trying her best to stop her boyfriend.

Sighing, the young Uchiha looked towards Sakura, raising a brow when she pursed her lips and glared. However, it wasn't intimidating but rather… _cute_.

"Sluts…" she slurred, and he only took notice that her annoyance was directed at the women in the area. "Every single one of them…"

He quickly scanned the place with his eyes, and he twitched at the sight of blushing females giving him predatory looks.

"Sasuke..!" he was shocked when Sakura had grabbed his face with one hand, forcing him to turn to her. "Eyes on me!" she seethed, and before he knew it, she pulled his head down for a kiss.

He wasn't sure how to react, especially with her tongue forcing itself in his mouth as she let out a moan, and that sound turned him on.

"You're mine…" she breathed after pulling away and tracing his jaw. "Got it?"

All he could do was nod in a dazed fashion, and she gave a contented grin before getting up and pulling him with her, though with little difficulty since she was _drunk_.

"Hinataaaa!" she called out. "We'll go on ahead, 'kaaaay?"

"E-Eh?" Hinata tried to push Naruto off of her neck. "B-But-"

"Hn." Sasuke nodded to her. "We'll be fine." And he pulled out enough cash to pay for his and Sakura's meals. "Just be sure to send me a message if you two get home."

"O-Okay…" she patted Naruto's shoulder to catch his attention, trying to tell him that they ought to just head home.

Sakura then dragged her boyfriend out of the restaurant, snarling at a few girls who tried to get in their way – rather, to _her_ man.

* * *

Seeing her holding onto her head with one hand while keeping the blankets over her body made him smirk slightly, and she forced a glare at him upon sensing it.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He said, pushing himself off the doorframe of the bathroom and walking over to her after letting the towel around his shoulders fall to the floor.

His hair was dripping wet, but they still retained their spikes. His upper body wasn't clothed and was instead coated with water, but that didn't mean that Sakura wasn't tempted to get him back on the bed with her and under the sheets.

She was just a bit grateful that he was wearing jeans.

Keyword: _bit_.

"You could have at least stopped me…" she groaned while sitting up. "God… how worse could I get?"

"Hn. To refresh your memory…" he sat down next to her and pushed a few strands of her hair away from her face. "You pushed me on the bed as soon as we got here, like so."

Her eyes widened when he pinned her arms down and now hovered over her.

"Then you leaned in and kissed me as if there was no tomorrow…" he whispered. "Your hands pulled off your shirt in haste, and you did the same thing to my clothes."

At this point, she was gaping with her mouth open, and her cheeks a beautiful shade of crimson.

"Next thing I knew, you took my hand and made me grope you – _everywhere_." He moved to her ear, breathing on it, making her stiffen. "You kept saying my name, like having a multiple orgasm, and _kami_, I swear, it turned me on so much…"

He pulled away and got off of her.

"And you fell asleep. Thanks a lot." He huffed, afterwards, picked up the fallen towel on the ground and used it to dry his hair.

"Oh… so… nothing… happened."

"Hn." He glanced at her. "I'm kind of relieved, since I didn't want to take advantage of your drunken state, but then, I'm also pissed that you left me in a very _hard_ position."

She flushed. "How… how did you… well…"

"It took an hour and a half of showering." He muttered. "And trust me, having a cold shower at two in the morning isn't healthy."

She ended up laughing and hugging him from behind. "Sorry."

"Can't say I didn't see it coming." He snorted, and then smirked. "But you owe me big time."

Sakura smiled and nuzzled his cheek. "I'll make it up to you tonight." She whispered.

"You better."

* * *

"Hmm…" she eyed the red fruits, one on each of her hands. "This looks riper, but this one looks a little less rotten…"

The supermarket in the nearby mall had almost everything you needed – whether its toiletries or household appliances.

But that wasn't what Sakura needed, no. She and Sasuke had split their list, so while he was off taking care of other non-edible items, she was stuck in shopping for food.

"Why does he have to be so picky about tomatoes…" she mumbled to herself with her bottom lip pushed upward.

"This is the better choice."

She jumped when a voice spoke from behind her and an arm reached out to grab a new tomato from the basket.

"Oh, uh, thanks." She smiled at the man and returned the other two. "But given how my boyfriend loves them so much, I don't think one will suffice."

"In that case," he gave a small smile. "I can help you with that."

He taught her how to pick the fruits and vegetables, informed her that the outer appearance isn't as pleasing inside as it looks on the outside. He told her that the sweetness of some can be told through scent, and how some can be tricky to pick.

It took them a good ten minutes to finish her list in the fruits and veggies section, and she thanked him so many times, promising to repay him for his kindness.

"Well," the man said. "I could use a little help." He gave an embarrassed grin. "You see, I'm new here and I'm looking for my friend, he said something about meeting at… some café, I think it was… _Beanery_, or something…"

While he was explaining, Sakura took this as a chance to observe who had helped her, since Sasuke had made it a point to remind her to be careful with strangers, no matter how nice they seem.

He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, a businessman as well, given the suit he wore and the briefcase he held in one hand. The other hand was holding onto a small plastic bag, and she assumed that he had just done his shopping right before helping her out.

"I'm not good with directions, so maybe my boyfriend and I can just take you there." She said. "As soon as he finishes, that is…"

She wondered what took him so long just to buy a couple of hair products for them, and dental hygiene.

"_He's probably having a hard time with the napkins…"_ she smirked inwardly, picturing her boyfriend with a blush on his face while staring at the feminine products. _"His fault for making me food shopping."_

"Alright then." The man nodded, and excused himself when his phone rang.

Sakura looked around the store, as if checking if she forgot to buy anything else.

"_It's a good thing I went ahead and paid for these,"_ she sighed silently. _"Rather, he paid for it, since it's his money, not to mention, his idea."_

She turned back to the man who was frowning and staring at his cell.

"Er… is something wrong?"

"Well, that friend of mine has been waiting for over an hour," he said. "And he can't stay long, so I have to get there now."

"Oh." She bit her lower lip, wondering what to do given the situation. "Well, I guess… I can…" she looked around, still seeing no sign of her boyfriend, before deciding it wouldn't hurt to take this man to the café and head back ASAP. "Oh what the heck, let's get you there."

She brought her purchased goods to the package counter, the man helping her out, and then led the way out of the supermarket.

* * *

He looked around, relieved to have finally bought the items Sakura needed.

Hell, he would never forget the experience of being stared at by the women who took the napkins or tampons from their shelves while he just stood there, staring.

If it wasn't for a mother and her child earlier, he'd still be stuck.

How the hell was he to know what the _wings_ were for? Heck, he didn't even know what _overnight _meant for napkins.

At least now, he knew.

"Hn." He began to tap his right foot, getting impatient in waiting for his girlfriend. He knew he should have gotten her a cell phone, but no, she insisted she didn't need one.

"_Ch. Yeah right."_ He took out his mobile and flipped it open when there was an icon of an envelope on the display screen. He read the message he got from Hinata, and his brows furrowed before replying a '_Where?' _to the girl who was almost like a little sister to him.

What the hell did he say about Sakura talking to strangers? Wasn't she listening to him?

"_That girl…"_ he seethed and read Hinata's new message, afterwards, left the items he bought in the packaging counter and dashed out of the mall.

He wasn't one to suspect people easily, but with Sakura, he could care less if he made a wrong judgment – for her, it was always _better safe than sorry_.

* * *

"K-Kamiko-san," Sakura stiffened when her back had hit a brick wall. "W-What's the meaning of this?"

"I'm a good judge of character, Sakura-san." He said. "I can tell when a person can be too trusting, or too naïve to see the true nature of another."

She clenched her fists and tried to remain calm. She needed to come up with a plan on how to get out of here.

Sakura could just take out the gun from her shoulder bag, but she'd have to rummage through it first and by the time she'd actually take it out, this guy would have already pinned her.

"Why don't you come with me quietly, and then I'll be a little nicer."

She wasn't buying that, she knew he wanted more than just sex. She knew he'd even put a ransom on her.

"Come on then." he reached out to her, and she tried to back away further.

"Touch her, and you're dead."

Kamiko abruptly turned his head and received a punch on his face, an attack which sent him falling to the ground.

Sakura was about to run to where Sasuke was but Kamiko had suddenly stood and had a gun aimed at his head.

"You should have just minded your own business."

The trigger was pulled, and a gunshot was heard.

Sasuke's eyes widened from the sound, but he was more surprised when the man standing before him had fallen to the ground, face first.

He raised his head to look at Sakura, seeing her holding onto a desert eagle, the same gun he used to kill her boss, the gun he gave to her in cases of emergencies.

"He…" she began to shake when she realized what she had done, that she had just killed a man. "He… he was…"

His gaze softened as he stepped over the corpse of Kamiko and held Sakura's hands, feeling nothing even when the gun was directed to his chest.

"Sasuke…" she sobbed as he gently lowered her hand and pulled her in for an embrace. "I… he was going to kill you!"

Though this part of the city had less inhabitants, he still knew that someone would report this incident, and they had to get out of sight.

* * *

"You need to tell us what happened."

Sasuke looked up from his Science textbook. "What's there to tell?"

Naruto frowned. "Hinata was worried sick when she recognized that guy, so what did you do to him?"

"Nothing." He muttered. "I just got Sakura out, that's what's important." He turned back to his book, glad that his girlfriend and Hinata were still looking for books in the library.

"Sasuke!" he hissed, trying hard not to be loud, otherwise, the librarian would kick him out. "I know you, you don't just let a guy go."

He glared at Naruto. "My father has a high position in the military, what do you think?"

The blue-eyed blonde sat back down and relaxed slightly. "So, you didn't kill him…"

"What made you think that?"

"Did you see the news today?"

Sasuke raised a brow, yet still kept his eyes on his book.

"He was found dead in an alley."

"And what did the reporter say?"

"…Yeah, well, some cop said the guy tried to escape jail, so the police who was pursuing shot him when the man took out a gun."

"Then why the hell did you even ask me what happened?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Because you and I both know that our fathers will cover us no matter what our crimes."

* * *

"Yes father, I understand." Hinata snapped her phone shut and looked at Sakura who was still in a daze. "Sakura?"

The girl jumped at the sound of her name, and she quickly looked towards Hinata.

"Um… My father wants to see me and Naruto regarding…" she blushed. "Well, Minato-san and my father discussed about our relationship."

"O-oh…" She smiled. "Is it… the engagement thing that Sasuke told me?"

"Y-Yes." She flushed. "It seems Naruto couldn't wait to tell Sasuke-nii…"

"Well," she shrugged. "Congratulations Hinata, I'm happy for you." She pulled the girl for an embrace, and Hinata smiled her thanks before heading back to where Naruto and Sasuke was.

Sakura's smile faded as she lowered her head.

She couldn't forget about how she had taken away a life, even if it was to save Sasuke.

"_But what right do I have to do so?"_ she shut her eyes. _"Even if Sasuke said that it was better to kill someone who would attempt to kill you, and that that was how the military works…"_

She knew that he had talked to Kakashi last night to inform the man of what happened, and she didn't bother to ask why he didn't contact his father instead.

"Haruno-san?"

She blinked a couple of times before looking to the left where a girl stood; her short black hair was tied into two low pigtails.

"I'm sorry to have… bothered you but," she looked around, afterwards, held Sakura's hand and pulled her elsewhere. "I need to talk to you about an important matter regarding Uchiha-san."

And that got Sakura to pick up her pace.

They reached the hallway and she wondered how late it was, seeing that not one student was around.

"Haruno-san," the girl began. "I noticed that… for the whole day, you've been too silent and unresponsive today."

She didn't think she was that worse.

"I'm starting to think that… maybe, Uchiha-san has been treating you badly, or perhaps he made you do something."

Her eyes widened. "What..?"

"Could he be… telling you to do things you hate? After all, his father is part of the military, and he can get away with anything."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she glared at the girl. "Don't even say such things about Sasuke!" she yelled. "You don't know him!"

"But how sure are you that he's not faking everything?" the girl said back. "He's a cold-hearted-"

"Shut up!" she pushed the girl against the wall and hissed. "Don't you dare…"

"H-Haruno-san! It's true! Uchiha-san may have done so many things in the past!"

"Did Kurosaki Ichiro put you up to this?" she cried, clutching the girl's uniform. "Stop bothering us! Leave us alone!"

"I am only saying that you should stop seeing Uchiha-san if you know what's good for you!"

That did it.

"I'm sick and tired of people like you!"

Sakura didn't know when she and the girl had started to fight, but with her angered and confused state, she wasn't even aware that she did most of the blows.

* * *

What Naruto said about their fathers was true.

Hell, he knew that Kakashi had already reported everything to Fugaku and Minato, but…

"_Damn it."_

He didn't want Sakura to be dragged into it.

He and Naruto may have had pass fights with others, but they've never taken a life, and he was sure Naruto wouldn't find the guts to do so.

But as for him, he was different.

In his many short military training course, he was always reminded to get to the suspect first before he takes your life. He was told to kill than be killed, and said that it was all for defense.

He could deal with it, he could live without feeling guilt in killing the people he believed deserved to die. Ichiro was one, but for now, he'd let the guy live. That fucking asshole of a boss Sakura had was better off dead, and so was that Kamiko guy, even if he wasn't the one who shot the bullet.

But Sakura, no. He knew she would break down, he knew she would go crazy if he wasn't there to help her out of it.

"Haruno-san, please!"

He stopped when he saw Sakura's back, plus a girl he recognized from earlier, all bloody and beaten, seated on the floor, using the wall as support.

"Shut up!" Sakura yelled. "Shut up, shut up!"

Sasuke studied the way his girlfriend was shaking, and he was stunned to see Sakura pointing a gun at the girl.

"_Fuck."_ He took large steps towards his girlfriend, the sound his footfalls made caught their attention, but Sakura still remained glaring at the girl, while the victim of the situation was sending him a pleading look.

"Uchiha-san! Stop her, please!"

Sasuke ignored her and held Sakura's hands steady.

"Sakura," he said her name softly against her ear, and she calmed down a bit. "What happened?"

"She… told me to break up with you… indirectly, but the message's still there."

Sasuke turned to the girl who froze.

"Do you want to know why?"

Sakura turned her head slightly to look at Sasuke, and he leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

"She tried to force herself on me a while ago, while you were with Hinata." He murmured. "Ask Naruto if you want."

She was stunned, and the anger came back as she glared at the girl who tried to get up, but her fear had her frozen.

"You… tried to take Sasuke from me…" she shook once more. "I… hate you." She mumbled. "I hate every single one of you!"

This girl was a witness, and no matter how much you pay them, they would still eventually squeal the truth.

Sasuke lightly kissed his girlfriend's cheek. "What do you want to do with her?"

"I… want her gone, but…" she shook.

"Sshh." He tried to soothe her, bringing his hand back to wrap around her waist and hold her close, while his other hand went to cover her eyes. "It's okay."

She began to shed tears.

"As long as you can't see their face, their corpse, their expression…" he murmured. "It'll be easy."

She nodded once, and Sasuke looked at the girl in the eye.

"Shoot."

And Sakura had pulled the trigger.

It was too late for the girl to realize that Sasuke's actions earlier weren't to calm Sakura, but rather, to perfect the aim, so that the bullet would directly fly through her head.

"Good girl." he murmured to his lover, and she turned around and gave him a deep kiss, while he pushed her against the wall and had his hands roam her body.

"Sasuke…" she mumbled, finding comfort in him. "Why… does…"

"Sshhh…" he kissed her neck as her eyes opened halfway, her lips curving upwards to give a smile.

"Why does it feel good to end someone's worthless life?"

She felt him smirk and moved to eye him. "Because it does."

This was only the first few steps for them.

* * *

_**Apathetic Silence:**_ _I shouldn't have watched __**Pathology**__, or at least, shouldn't have read dark and twisted fics._

_**CrAzY-SiLLy-Me:**__ *while eating popcorn* What are you talking about? It's effing great!_

_**Apathetic Silence: **__…I am not sadistic like you, __**Uchiha**__._

_**CrAzY-SiLLy-Me: **__…Oh yeah sure, rub it in for all I care, __**Hyuuga**__._

_**Apathetic Silence: **__*sighs* Anyway, give me a feedback about this, I'm kind of… worried that it isn't good or fitting, even if my sadist of a cousin thinks otherwise._


	4. Going Deeper

"_Don't think for one second that I don't care."_

"_I know." She murmured. "I know."_

"_You're…" he breathed while cupping her face. "My life."_

_She closed her eyes and let him kiss her neck. "As you are mine, Sasuke…"

* * *

_

**Twisted Apathy**_**  
"**__**Going Deeper"

* * *

**_

"Yes, I know…" He said to the person on the other line. "I am aware of that, just see to it."

His eyes moved from the flat television screen to the couple in the large kitchen, seeing how they fooled around while preparing dinner.

"I don't care…" he said on the phone after seeing his son laughing. "Just do it."

Without another word, he hung up and switched off the TV.

"So…" he entered the kitchen and leaned against the door frame, giving a small smile when the two teenagers had immediately stopped playing around. "Are you sure you two wouldn't rather have take-out?"

* * *

Despite the supposedly cold demeanor, she still can't find anything else on Uchiha Fugaku that would make her boyfriend hate the man so much.

Maybe it was the father's way of showing he cares, and Sasuke just didn't know. Maybe they were both just ignorant of showing how much they want to repair the broken bonds of their family, how much they want to keep it together.

"He's a good man, Sasuke."

He didn't answer her and just remained seated on the couch while staring at the blank screen of the TV.

"He's busy, that's true, but…" she turned to him. "You can't blame him for doing a good job, right?"

He kept his mouth shut, and she wondered if he even heard a word she said.

"Maybe the important matter he had to attend to is related to last week's event."

He scowled when his eyes strayed over to the family portrait his father still had on display in the living room. "It still doesn't change the fact that he was suppose to get to know you tonight." He clenched his fists. "He swore he wouldn't let work get in the way."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and reached for one of his hands to hold.

"He knows how important you are to me, how I want you to be a part of this family."

A smile grazed her lips. "Uchiha Sasuke, could you possibly be proposing to me?"

She was startled when he suddenly stood up and knelt down on one knee before her.

"Yes." He answered while grabbing her right hand and pulling out a white gold ring from his pocket. "Yes I am."

Her cheeks turned a dark shade of red while her eyes locked into his deep and serious gaze.

"I love you." He said, his voice soft but firm. "And I want to spend the remaining days of my life with you, every second, every minute, every hour…"

"Sasuke…" she looked at their joint hands and wondered how they just fitted right. She thought back to the many embraces they shared and how perfect her body was with his. Her mind recalled the many love-making sessions they've done, and she couldn't believe just how wonderful it always was and will be.

If he was nervous, he didn't show it. In fact, he looked extremely confident right now.

"It's only been… two months, maybe…"

"Three," He corrected. "Three and a half to be precise."

She smiled at how he kept track of their relationship. "To others, it's too soon, but to me, I can't wait any longer."

* * *

"You just can't avoid competing with me, huh?"

"Hn. Dobe, that's my line."

Naruto frowned. "I got engaged first."

"Only because your father and Hinata's have finally agreed to your relationship with each other," he smirked. "Dobe."

"Whatever! I still got engaged first!" He yelled. "Teme."

"I proposed while you didn't."

Naruto opened his mouth, about to retort, but couldn't find anything good. "Ah shit." He mumbled.

"Heh." He slowed down his sprint when he and his best friend had finished the ten laps their Gym teacher had made them do. "How did it go anyway?"

"My father, as usual, was hyped." He grinned. "Old man Hiashi wasn't too pleased, but see, he loves his daughter and will do anything for her happiness."

"Yeah, given that Hinata isn't a spoiled little girl, and has only asked for this in her entire life."

"She loves me." Naruto said proudly. "And I love her."

"So don't blow it." He swatted Naruto at the back of the head. "Remember, it's not only her cousin and father you should worry about."

"Eh? But I thought you'd be easier since you're my best friend!" He nudged him. "Kind of like my brother too, right?"

"Just watch it." He said seriously. "Don't forget what happened the last time you made her cry."

"First and last!" Naruto said. "And yeah." He flinched. "Besides the old man and Neji, you made sure I wouldn't do it again…"

"Hn." He turned from Naruto to the girls' PE, his eyes staying on his girlfriend's form as she jumped in order to hit the ball.

"Teme."

"What?"

"How did your father take it?"

"…What do you think?"

"Since he's trying to get on your good side, then I'd say he approved?"

"Easily." Sasuke said. "During dinner, he asked Sakura a lot of questions, and she just answered without hesitation, and you know my father when it comes to honesty and confidence."

"The former being something you didn't inherit from him."

He got hit on the head again.

"He instantly took a liking to her, and I didn't need to ask for his permission."

"Didn't, or wouldn't?"

"Both." Sasuke answered. "He left just when I was planning to ask him."

Naruto sighed. "Teme…"

"Forget it dobe." He grunted. "Just because I can learn to forgive him, doesn't mean I'll easily open up."

"You can at least try."

Sasuke looked back at his best friend though his gaze was averted to the ground. "That's easier said than done."

* * *

Kamiko's death affected her, but not because she was attached to the man, but rather because it was her first kill. The second time around, the girl -she forgot her name- was a bit easier.

As what Sasuke said, when she didn't see her victim's face, it wasn't so hard to pull the trigger.

What surprised her though was how she took it.

Normally, she would have started shaking, started feeling guilty, started going crazy…

But the idea of someone tearing her and Sasuke apart, the knowledge of knowing how that girl actually wanted Sasuke, it made killing her fun, enjoyable… even addicting.

She didn't think she'd experience the want for blood to be spilled, or rather, she wasn't expecting to feel lust for her boyfriend at the sight of a victim's blood.

Something just clicked on that night she had her second kill.

Seeing blood, feeling his arms around her, being relieved that another person who wants them apart is gone…

"_Wait."_ She stopped wiping her sweat with the towel she was holding. _"That's only one person…"_

Her eyes looked at her surroundings, seeing her female classmates staring at where the boys were having their Physical Education class, and she could tell that most of them had their eyes set on her boyfriend.

"…_There're still more of them out there."_ She frowned as her grip on the towel tightened.

Her gym teacher had told them to remove all kinds of jewelry, but she still kept the ring Sasuke had given her. However, since they were playing volleyball, she opted to have it hanging from a chain around her neck.

She could recall the looks she received from the girls while in the locker room. They knew that the ring she had was an engagement ring from Sasuke, and she knows they would get rid of it or try to take it from her.

Past experiences of being bullied or looked down upon by the same populace had her be more careful.

Her glare hardened when she heard Karin cheer Sasuke's name. Her teeth gritted when a couple of girls had squealed at how Sasuke made a perfect three-point shot.

"_They won't take him…"_ she closed her eyes to calm down. _"If they do, they may as well kiss their lives goodbye."

* * *

_

"Teme..!"

He twitched.

"Temeeeee…!"

"What?"

"Hi."

He glared at Naruto's goofy grin.

"Stop glowering at the guys as if they're checking Sakura out."

"They are."

"I know, but consider it as… I don't know, a compliment that she's attractive?"

"Then would you care to explain why they never gave her a second glance in the past?"

Naruto sighed and scowled. "You know the nature of most men, they tend to want what's taken."

"Then they should know what happens when trespassing."

Naruto grinned and cracked his knuckles. "So let's kick their ass in the next game."

"That won't be enough to send the message." He muttered. "Think about it, what would you do if they were looking at Hinata in the wrong way?"

The young blonde twitched. "They better not."

"Hn. From what I'm seeing, they're staring _far too long _at either Sakura's legs or Hinata's chest."

The two men stood next to each other, one had his arms crossed while the other was clenching his fists. Both their eyes had deadly glints on them, and a few select males who were uninterested in women's appearances could sense the dangerous aura coming from the two.

"How's about a game of _beat the shit out of them_?"

Sasuke knew Naruto wasn't entirely serious in hurting them.

"That won't be enough." The Uchiha teen said in a hiss, but Naruto had heard it, and he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen again.

After all, he had noticed the change in both Sasuke and Sakura's attitudes – they were a lot more possessive of each other. Sakura had snapped at a girl who only confessed to Sasuke without expecting anything, while he witnessed Sasuke threaten a guy who had just _looked_ at Sakura.

"_Teme, what the hell's wrong with you and Sakura..?"

* * *

_

Having no guilty conscience may have been because she has already done this twice, but in the back of her mind, she wondered what had suddenly changed.

She wasn't obsessed before, but now, it felt like she was.

A girl confessed to Sasuke, so what? It didn't mean she had to be a bitch, right?

"_No."_ She frowned and placed a hand on her head. _"If I let them get close to him, they might… they might…"_

It was impossible for them to get Sasuke, since from what she's witnessed he wouldn't even dare leave her. He glared at the guys who looked her way, and though she felt good about having attention, she didn't like it when it was in the wrong way.

She was taken, why did the men want her now? Was that how the world really works? You're boring on the first day, and then when you're taken, everyone's interested almost immediately?

"_I'm getting a migraine…"_ she rubbed her temples and leaned against the wall.

She told their gym teacher that she wasn't feeling well, but instead of heading for the clinic, she opted to stay at the back of the gym, where no one passed.

The way her classmates had stared and cheered at Sasuke made her blood boil.

"_They just can't understand how I feel…"_ she sighed. _"I've been alone almost my entire life and they still want him, the only person I have, the only person I love…"_

"I didn't think you'd be the type to skip classes."

She jumped at the newcomer and instantly frowned.

"What's with that look?"

She turned away. "Go away Karin, I'm not in the mood."

"Hmph. You're supposed to be in the clinic."

"Go. Away."

Karin got annoyed at this and grabbed Sakura's wrist. "When did _you_ start acting like a bitch?"

"When did you grow worse?" Sakura snapped, tugging her hand free. "And why the hell would you care?"

"I don't." She said, pushing up her glasses, afterwards, looked down. "Actually, I… came here for another reason."

Sakura kept her guard up despite how Karin's tone had grown softer.

"Reita was a close friend of mine, and…"

"_Reita?"_ Sakura thought long and hard before suddenly remembering that Reita was the girl she had killed. _"Does Karin know?"_

"And I want to know what happened." She murmured. "I remember her telling me about confessing to Sasuke, and… well, I like Sasuke too, but I couldn't stop her."

"Couldn't, or wouldn't?"

Karin sighed. "I'm not dumb, Sakura. I know a lost cause."

"What?"

"I mean," she huffed. "I've seen the way Sasuke looks at you and acts around you, why do you think I never bothered you when you started dating him?"

Sakura's eyes widened; now that she thought about it, ever since she and Sasuke became a couple, Karin hadn't bothered her.

"Reita and I… sort of fought; she asked why I was giving up, and then stormed off without waiting for my answer." She fingered the hem of her shirt. "I don't know what exactly happened, but with Naruto having a loud mouth, well, I found out that she forced herself on him and he yelled at her."

"Why are you… telling me this?"

Karin tried to remain calm at how slow Sakura was right now.

"Nearly everyone saw Reita with Sasuke; he was the last person she was with, and I want to know if he told you anything about what happened to her afterwards."

Sakura met Karin's gaze. "So you're not accusing him, right?"

"That's the last thing I would do, Sakura." She crossed her arms. "I may be bitchy most of the time, but I don't just point fingers in serious crimes."

"I see." She lowered her gaze and wondered what to tell Karin.

She didn't think that the girl standing before her would have another side, she always considered Karin as a bitch, but no one can blame Sakura for thinking that after the hell she had put her through.

"I'll talk to you after I ask Sasuke about it."

"Okay." She nodded and then started to fidget. "Don't think that this little… chat changes everything, Haruno." She crossed her arms. "I have a reputation to keep."

Sakura had to give a small smile to that. "Yeah, don't worry, I can be a pretty decent actress if the situation calls for it."

And for the first time, Karin had smiled at her - a true smile.

* * *

They stared at her, giving her looks as if she grew another head while she just continued to hum a happy tune.

"Talk about mood swings…" Naruto murmured, and Sasuke had to nod at that.

"Um… Sakura, what… well, what happened?" Hinata asked timidly.

The girl in question just grinned. "Let's just say that I have a secret friendship with someone I used to loathe."

"Ichiro?" All three immediately spoke.

"What? No!" Sakura scowled. "No way in hell I'd forgive that guy."

"Hn. Good." Sasuke mumbled. "Otherwise, I might end up sending him six feet under."

"Don't be jealous." She grinned.

"Feh." He scoffed. "Don't act as if you don't like seeing me jealous."

She shrugged and looked back at her two friends. "Karin and I sort of have a truce, but we don't show it in public."

Silence answered her, and as seconds turned to minutes, she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Guys! COME ON!"

Naruto was the first to snap out of it.

"Sakura, seriously? Karin? Are you-"

"No I'm not kidding!"

"But she-"

Sakura cut Hinata off. "More than just a bitch."

"Slut?"

"No Sasuke." She sighed heavily. "Geez."

The three just stared at her.

"Look, she just talked to me about Reita, she wanted to know if I saw anyone else with her before she died."

Sasuke frowned. "Why did she ask you?"

"Because you're my boyfriend, and some students saw her with you, Naruto included."

"Well, yeah, but then she left when teme harshly rejected her."

"Yes, so Karin asked me if Sasuke told me what happened to Reita after she left."

"How should I know what happened to her after she left?"

"She just assumed you might have known, or perhaps seen who she was last with."

"Well, I don't." Sasuke answered, inwardly amazed at how Sakura had lied so smoothly about the story. _"She's learning."_

The grip on his hand under the table, however, made him know just how much she was having hard time keeping up with her current façade to put on a show for Naruto and Hinata.

"Karin doesn't know you don't, so she just asked." She shrugged. "Anyway, we're keeping our truce a secret for now – she has a reputation after all."

Naruto still stared at her like she was an alien, while Hinata opened her mouth but closed it again – unsure of what to say. As for Sasuke, he just sat there, keeping in mind to watch out for the red-head in case she was plotting something.

"People don't just change like that…" Naruto said, unknowingly making Sakura stiffen.

Sasuke took a quick look at his girlfriend's expression, before sighing and getting up. "I forgot to check in with Kakashi."

"Eh? What for?"

"Dobe." Sasuke grunted, before tugging at Sakura's arm. "It's about Kurosaki."

"Shouldn't I go too?"

He shook his head at the blonde. "It concerns Sakura."

Sakura blinked before picking up her things and smiling at Naruto and Hinata.

The two soon left, and Naruto couldn't help but frown at his best friend's retreating back.

* * *

"What's wrong with Ichiro? Is his suspension over?"

Sasuke didn't answer for a few moments until they reached the fifth floor of the school, the hallway currently abandoned since it was still lunch time.

"Sasuke?"

He looked at her before pinning her against a wall.

"What's on your mind?"

Her eyes widened as she suddenly recalled Naruto's words.

"N..Nothing." She turned away. "Nothing…"

His hand lifted to grab her chin, making her face him.

"It's nothing." She repeated, a little more firmly this time.

"You're getting good at lying, but you can't fool me."

She clenched her fists, and then unclenched them as her shoulders slumped and her head lowered.

"Naruto's right, people don't just change all of a sudden, but look at me…" she lifted her shaking hands. "I just… killed a student, and I'm living my life as if I did nothing wrong."

"She provoked you."

"She didn't attempt to murder me Sasuke!" She cried. "Kamiko… Kamiko is a different story, I can accept what I did to him, but to Reita…" she shook her head from left to right. "I can't."

He let her cry, let her embrace him, let her pour out her frustrations; it was the only way she would calm down, the only way she can think straight once again.

The moment her sobs subsided, he stopped rubbing her back and pulled away slightly to look at her.

"If you hadn't killed her…" his eyes half-closed as he looked at her. "Would she have stopped telling you to break up with me?"

Her lips parted, but he didn't let her speak since he slanted his mouth to hers to give her a kiss.

"Reita isn't the only one who wants us apart." He murmured against her jaw. "Remember that."

She could barely nod her head when he lifted her up and had her legs wrapped around his waist.

Sakura allowed herself to indulge in pleasure when he sucked her neck and thrust against her, making her grip tighter and breathe out his name.

* * *

Even if they were wary of her, Sakura still didn't stop being friendly to Karin whenever she would smile or greet her.

Hinata was a bit more polite by giving a smile of her own in greeting, but Naruto didn't bother hiding his spite for the girl. As for Sasuke, he just remained indifferent to the red-head.

"Yeesh. With the way you're glaring at me, it's as if I'm planning on raping you."

Sasuke's glare only darkened.

"I don't get how you can put up with this guy Sakura." Karin mumbled.

It's been weeks since their truce, and Karin had decided to just _screw_ her reputation and openly talk to Sakura whenever she wants to, even to a point wherein she hangs out with them during lunch break, or even their after school gimmicks.

"So, it's Friday again," she clapped and looked at Sakura. "What're our plans today?"

"Actually, Sasuke and I are going out for dinner tonight, we haven't been on a decent date for a while."

Karin pouted but shrugged it off and turned to Naruto and Hinata.

"Erm-"

"We're meeting with Hinata's family." Naruto mumbled, directing his annoyance at his unfinished Math homework that was due next period.

"Ah geez. It's a Friday and I have no plans, how dull is that?"

Sakura bit her lower lip and played with the hem of her skirt for a while before turning to look at Karin. "Maybe you'd like to join us?"

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke had gaped at Sakura, and the pink-haired girl just gave a nervous laugh at them before looking back at Karin who looked extremely happy for the suggestion.

"Can I really?"

Sasuke twitched and was about to say _no_, but Sakura beat him to it.

"Yes, it's really okay." She nodded once while gripping at Sasuke's hand tightly, just to shut him up. "It should be fun, right?" She looked at Sasuke with a pleading look. The young Uchiha kept his glare, before tugging his hand free from her grip and folding his arms on the table, deciding to just keep silent.

"Thank you so much Sakura!" She beamed. "Hey, why don't I make it a double date? I can call one of my guy friends to accompany me, that way it won't be a, well, _three-is-a-crowd _thing!"

"Um… sure, I see nothing wrong with that." Sakura kept her smile.

"Cool!" Karin stood up. "So, what are the details?"

"Let's just meet at the mall at six, perhaps by the department store?"

Karin blinked in confusion at Sakura's choice of meeting place.

"I need to buy something."

"Alright then! I'll go ask who can come with me!" She then took off, leaving Sakura to face the music.

"Sasuke..?" She looked at Sasuke nervously. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Next time, try to hold your tongue." He stood up and gathered his things before leaving, not bothering to even nod at Naruto or Hinata, or pull Sakura with him.

Naruto sighed and stood up as well. "I'm… I'm gonna go talk to him." He mumbled, giving Hinata a light kiss on the cheek before jogging after his best friend, completely forgetting about his homework.

Sakura watched as Naruto caught up with Sasuke and had wrapped an arm around her boyfriend's neck.

"I just hope nothing bad will happen."

She turned to Hinata who had chose to finish Naruto's homework for him so as not to get him another trip to detention.

"I mean…" she lowered the pencil and met Sakura's gaze. "This is Karin we're talking about, and we're not sure if we can completely trust her, much less the people she hangs out with."

Sakura tried to force a smile. "I just… like to give her a chance Hinata, she hasn't been hostile to me since Sasuke and I started dating."

"That's exactly it." Hinata mumbled. "It's making not only Sasuke-nii suspicious, but even Naruto and I." She peered at Sakura beneath her full bangs. "Be careful to whom you put your trust into, Sakura."

* * *

She watched as he kept his hands pocketed in his jeans and stared at the people who passed by.

Sakura felt a bit guilty for giving up their date by inviting Karin to join them, who in turn made it a double date.

"Sasuke…"

She bit her lip and looked up at him, disheartened to see him still looking straight ahead, not even sparing her a glance.

With a deep sigh, she raised her left hand, her blue jacket's sleeves a bit too long for her since it reached up until her knuckles.

"Sasuke…"

Her fingers grasped the sleeve of his black unzipped hoody and tugged at it twice.

He _still_ didn't look at her.

"Don't make this night awkward, please."

He snorted, before side stepping once to make her let go. "Should have thought of that first."

Even his voice was barely audible, still refusing to talk to her.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, bringing her hands to her chest, just right above her barely noticeable cleavage, her black tank top showing just enough skin. "I just… I didn't…" her fingers clenched at the ring hanging around her neck, trying to seek strength from it. "Sasuke, please…"

His brows furrowed a bit, but that was all the reaction she got.

With a shaky breath, she turned around and forced back her tears, not used to his treatment after experiencing his affectionate side for so long.

Those pass months almost felt like a dream right now…

Her phone vibrated against her skirt's pocket, and she pulled it out and answered the caller.

"Sakura!"

"Karin." She took a quick glance at Sasuke who scoffed. "Where are you?"

"I… I don't know… some guys just cornered me and told me to call you… I… I'm scared…"

Her eyes widened when she heard Karin tell someone to keep away. "Where are you?"

Sasuke had glanced at her when she spoke in an alarmed tone.

He may not care much for Karin, but he wasn't _that_ cold-hearted to not care if someone innocent (as innocent as Karin could get at least) was in danger.

"I… I'm not sure but… but…ah!"

Sakura stiffened when a masculine voice spoke in replace of her friend.

"Long time no talk, Sakura-_chan_."

Her grip on her phone tightened, and Sasuke frowned when his girlfriend started to breathe heavily.

He took the phone from her, wondering what had made her react that way.

"What the fuck is going on?" He hissed at the person on the other line.

"Uchiha too, good."

He swore loudly. "_Kurosaki_."

"Unless you want your girlfriend's sanity unstable or at least, her conscience clean, then maybe you'd like to come over and play?"

He gritted his teeth. "_Where_?"

"In the alleyway at the back of the mall – you know where that is."

The line went dead, and Sasuke handed Sakura back her phone.

"Stay here."

"No!" She grabbed his arm. "I'm going with you! Karin's my friend!"

He glared. "This is Kurosaki we're dealing with; I'm not risking you for that."

"Karin needs me, Sasuke!"

He didn't say anything and just kept his gaze on her, hoping she'd change her mind, but she didn't, and he cursed.

"_Fine._" And he didn't say anything anymore when they took off to where Ichiro had Karin.

What _ever_ happened to her supposed date?

* * *

He inhaled deeply before exhaling out the smoke. When he heard approaching footsteps, he gave a smirk and tossed the cigarette to the ground.

"Been a while, Uchiha." He sneered, before his gaze turned to the girl who had tagged along. "And Sakura-chan too? My, you must have missed me."

Sasuke blocked Sakura from Ichiro's view and glared. "What do you want?"

Ichiro merely snickered and snapped his fingers, and Sasuke found him and Sakura trapped in the alleyway, since the only exit was blocked by three more guys while two more came out from the shadows, holding onto a struggling Karin.

The Uchiha's eyes took note of how she was unharmed, even untouched.

"So," Ichiro nodded once to one of the two men who then took out a pocketknife and had the pointed end at Karin's throat. "Why don't you come over here, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke held out an arm in front of Sakura to prevent her from walking towards Ichiro.

"Stay out of this Uchiha, I'll deal with you later."

"Keep my girlfriend out of this." He hissed. "This is our fight."

"Don't think so highly of yourself." Ichiro muttered. "_This_ started because of her."

Sakura thought back to their previous encounters with Ichiro, and he was right – the only reason he and Sasuke fought was because of her.

"Sasuke." She pushed his arm away. "This is my fight."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't be stupid."

She tugged her arm free and looked at Ichiro. "Let Karin go."

"I will, but you have to come near me first."

Sakura clenched her fists and took a step forward, the three guys from behind holding Sasuke back to prevent him from stopping her.

When Ichiro was about to reach for her, Sakura stepped back and glared. "Let her go first."

He checked the situation, seeing Sasuke having difficulty in struggling against three guys. "Alright." He nodded to the two, and Karin instantly ran from them and met Sakura halfway.

"Get out of here." She told the red-head, before cautiously walking towards Ichiro.

"Yeah Karin, we have no more use for you."

Before Sakura could react, Ichiro had grabbed her and held her back against his body, smirking at her baffled face. "You didn't think Karin would instantly befriend you, right?"

"But… but… Karin… you…"

Karin pushed her glasses up and met Sakura's gaze with a blank look.

"You took Sasuke from me," she hissed. "And don't think I have no idea how you shot Reita."

"What… what are you-"

"I saw you!" She yelled. "I saw Sasuke hug you as you aimed that gun!"

Karin turned away and looked at Sasuke who glared at her.

"Even if you hate me, I can take it," she glared back at Sakura. "At least once Ichiro's done with her, you're both over."

And she took off, not looking back, not feeling even a hint of regret of what she has done.

"Glare all you want, Uchiha." Ichiro chuckled and held Sakura firmly against him, taking advantage of how her back was pressed to his front, giving him access to her fully-developed chest. "Quite soft…" he mumbled as he fondled the left mound harshly. "I even like how your voice sounds…" he inhaled the scent of her neck as Sakura shut her eyes and tried to force back her whimpers.

"You fucking bastard!" Sasuke pried one arm free, but was pushed to the ground. He gritted his teeth when his head was pulled back to make him see Ichiro violating his girlfriend.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Ichiro smirked.

Sakura tried to remain calm despite the situation, otherwise, she won't be able to come up with a plan to get her and Sasuke out of this.

She was sure her boyfriend was too blinded by rage right now, so hoping he'd have something planned will be futile.

"_Sorry for this."_

She took in a shaky breath and tried to picture Ichiro's rough hands as Sasuke's, even shutting her eyes and imagining it wasn't the guy she hated who was touching her.

Her lips parted as she let out a moan, startling not only Sasuke but even Ichiro, who quickly recovered and smirked.

"I'm definitely going to enjoy this." He mumbled while flicking the skin of her neck with his tongue. He bit onto the flesh slightly and she arched her back, letting his hand fully touch her chest.

When she felt him loosen his grip around her waist, she didn't dare to pull out immediately, thinking that their guard was still up – so instead, she carefully brought her hands up to one of Ichiro's hands and made him cup her tighter, eliciting a loud groan from her.

He kept staring at the sight, of how Sakura had took a hold of Ichiro's other hand and directed it to her core.

He didn't know what to say or what to do, his mind just went blank all of a sudden, and he just wished this was all a dream…

When Ichiro had slammed her against the alley's wall, Sakura closed her eyes and tried to keep her mind on what she had planned, even forcing herself to push her hips against his while one of her hands had travelled to her left leg, slowly bringing up the hem of her skirt which hid a black holster.

She dared to pull Ichiro's head up from her neck and placed her mouth on his, brows knitting when his tongue went inside her open mouth.

She let him do what he pleased while trying to find the right opportunity to pull the gun she always brought with her out, and the next thing everyone knew, she had pointed the nozzle harshly on Ichiro's chest and glared at his widened eyes.

"Let Sasuke go." She pressed the gun harder. "_Now_."

Ichiro kept his gaze on Sakura's narrowed eyes before turning to the three who were waiting for his orders.

With a slow nod, they let Sasuke go, who in turn stood up, staggering a bit after recovering from what he had witnessed.

"Step back." She told Ichiro, who raised both hands up and did what he was told.

Sakura didn't remove her aim from Ichiro's heart, nor did she lift her gaze off of his form as she made her way back to Sasuke, who instantly took her free hand that was searching for his.

"Kill…" Sakura mumbled while her glare slowly faded to a blank look. "Or be killed."

And she pulled the trigger.

Two more shots were heard, and then a brawl broke out, before three more gunshots echoed through the walls of the alleyway.

Hurried footsteps came after, and before any witnesses could confirm what has happened, only six corpses were left of the story as lightning cracked and heavy raindrops poured from the dark sky.

* * *

The door closed as soon as the apartment's occupants had entered.

One walked in and knelt to the floor, while the other leaned against the door and raised a hand to run through drenched locks of hair.

"Sakura."

She stiffened from his voice, unsure of what to do. She felt him kneel down behind her and wrap his arms around her soaked form, his hands holding onto the now empty gun, before gently tugging away it from her hands.

He set it aside after clicking on the safety, and then pulled her to his back as he sat on the wooden floor and used the door as support for both their weights.

His hold didn't loosen even when she started to shake and breathe heavily, he didn't dare say anything and opted to just stare at the wall across from them, his mind trying to erase the image of Ichiro's hands gliding across Sakura's body, and how she had played along just to get them out of the situation.

Sasuke kept telling himself it was just an act, but he couldn't help the pain and anger swelling up within him at the idea of another man touching her, and how she had even kissed that guy.

"I feel so… so dirty…" she whispered, her voice quivering from the earlier incident as she hugged herself. "I… I can't believe I let Karin fool me… I can't believe I… I let that…that bastard touch me… I can't believe I kissed him… I just…" her eyes shut tightly as she tried to comprehend what had happened to her and how she had changed so drastically.

If she was still the same girl as before, she wouldn't even have had enough guts to trick Ichiro with the use of her body, much less threaten him with a gun, and end up shooting him dead. And the worst part was, she didn't stop there, she even killed the other guys, boys who probably had families waiting for them even if they're also a bunch of assholes.

What right did she have to take away a life?

_Kill or be killed._

Her mind chanted.

She stopped shaking and slowly opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side when she felt Sasuke's lips press against her neck lightly.

"You did what you had to do."

She clenched her fists, the guilt of making Sasuke witness what she had done eating her up inside.

"It's not your fault."

She pulled back and turned to face him.

"How can you say that?" She cried. "It's my fault Ichiro wants to settle a score with you! It's my fault that got us into that mess! It's my fault! If I hadn't believed Karin, if I hadn't just… just…"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her head down with his other hand to kiss her, afterwards, lowered her to the ground and hovered over her.

"If there's anyone to blame," he mumbled when he leaned his forehead to hers. "It's me."

She opened her mouth to speak but he crashed his lips on hers to silence her.

"Since you became my girlfriend," he kissed her jaw. "Your life turned into a mess."

She gripped onto his shirt when his teeth sunk onto her neck.

"Everything you do from now on is my fault." He moved to her ear and bit the helix. "You're innocent."

Her crying subsided as he continued to kiss her and comfort her through both words and actions.

"I'll take responsibility for everything," he traced the soft skin of her stomach from beneath her shirt. "I love you that much."

Their lips met once more as she gave in to him and pushed off his jacket, spreading her legs wider in order to fully take him in.

"_I'm not letting you go, Sakura."

* * *

_

_**Apathetic Silence: **__Hmm… It's kind of getting harder to write Sakura's characterization._

_**CrAzY-SiLLy-Me: **__*is dropping by again* Well, that depends on how you were portraying her – you did say she was kind of… psycho?_

_**Apathetic Silence: **__In a way; she's psychologically… erm… what's the word?_

_**CrAzY-SiLLy-Me: **__So she's basically insane or something; that's what obsession can do. And Sasuke's a manipulative bastard?_

_**Apathetic Silence: **__I'm aiming for that – but I'm not sure if it's coming out right._


End file.
